Worming information from a vet visit in May

[Genie]

Our vet said at a vet visit for some dental equine work, that all I needed to worm for was tape worm in the spring and a wormer in the fall that covered bots.

I have been worming more often than this and rotating wormers.

 

[andrea loves minis]

I think because we live where the winters are cooler we don't have to deworm as often

 

[brasstackminis]

Recent studies have shown that 20% of the herd carries up to 90% of the parasite load. The concensus is that you test all the horses for parasites with a fecal float and worm the ones that have parasites with the wormer just for the worms they have. Supposedly saves money. I am not so sure with floats at $15 a horse and wormer I can get for $3 online and use on 3-5 minis...but they are finding a lot of resistance lately and they are attributing it to over worming of horses that don't need it. So unless I see a worm or my horse looks off...I don't worm too often. So far so good. And recently a vet told me no ivermectin for the foals under 2 years old. I didn't ask why as I was a little shocked!

 

[circlesinthesand]

And recently a vet told me no ivermectin for the foals under 2 years old. I didn't ask why as I was a little shocked!

Is this just a mini horse thing? I have given whole tubes of ivermectin to weanlings and yearlings for decades and I've yet to see one hurt by it. I dunno about the mini's but I do know about big horses and I also know that you can build resistance by under worming for the weight of the horse just as easily as you can build it by over using the same wormer. Kinda like a vaccine works...enough small doses that won't kill it and you've got a resistant worm.

 

[brasstackminis]

No I was talking about a QH/Welsh pony filly...I don't know why. I need to call him. But he flat out said when I mentioned worming her...don't use ivermectin on horses under the age of 2. Like I said, I was too stunned to think to ask why. I had been asking about perpetual loose stools on this filly her entire life from an unknown cause. Turns out, Welshies are super easy keepers and she couldn't handle any grain or alfalfa. On plain coastal her squirts went away. So I have no idea. He is the kind of vet that tries to keep up with the latest information, even though he is an old timer. Not sure what to say. Gonna go google it now...

 

[ohmt]

Always check with your vet as deworming should be done by area/herd. My mature horses get dewormed 4 times a year (2 of those include the 5 double dose of panacur followed by ivermectin), and my younguns are dewormed 6 times a year. My vet does fecals every other year to make sure we are doing ok and she says we have internally very healthy horses