NFED Equine Health

EASY GUIDE TO EQUINE WORM CONTROL

[ Links to useful worming information sites ]

 The importance of worming is paramount but is also a subject that horse owners are often unsure about. The good news is that it is actually quite straightforward.

Intervet UK Ltd, manufacturer of Panacur® and Pyratype P®, offers this simple guide to help owners with their worming programme.

No one wormer will remove all the important parasites. To remove small redworm larvae, tapeworm, bots and migrating large redworm larvae, you will need to follow a strategic worming programme giving your horse specific doses at certain times of the year. By following this simple guide, you will ensure that your horse’s parasite burden is adequately controlled all year round.

Pasture management

 Pasture management is an equally important part of parasite control and twice weekly removal of dung, mixed grazing with sheep or cattle, weed control and correct stocking density all play a vital role.

 April – August (the grazing season)

·                    Carry out routine worming every 4-13 weeks depending on the product you choose.

·                    Look for active ingredients on the label and select one product to use for the entire grazing season.

·                    Rotate the grazing season wormer every year, not every time you worm (eg: use Panacur in year one, Pyratape P in year two and an ivermectin/ moxidectin product in year three – then continue the cycle).

·                    Check correct dosing interval on the product label as this will vary according to the active ingredient.

·                    For guidance: Pyratape P should be given every 4-6 weeks, Panacur every 6-8 weeks, an ivermectin based product every 8-10 weeks and a moxidectin product every 13 weeks. Remember, young livestock will need worming at the lower end of this interval.

·                    Harrowing in summer months when it is hot and dry is a valid way to reduce larval burden as this exposes larvae to dessication (drying). Harrowing when wet, however, simply smears infective larvae all over the pasture and this has been shown to lead to reduced weight gain in foals.

September

• Treat your horse for tapeworm with a double dose of Pyratape P.

 Late October/early November

• This is the optimal time to treat all stages of encysted small redworm larvae in the gut wall acquired during the summer and early autumn months.
• Treat with a five day course of Panacur Equine Guard.
• This five day treatment will also remove migrating large redworm larvae and adult large redworm, seat worm and benzimidazole susceptible adult small redworm.
• Pasture infective larvae are usually at highest levels from now until the Spring and where possible twice weekly collection of dung is required to reduce the level of challenge. In very wet weather, focus on turnout paddocks, which are usually the most heavily contaminated.

Make sure you use this strategic worming programme on all horses as a matter of course, whatever the time of year. You should treat any new horses with a five day course of Panacur Equine Guard followed by a double dose of Pyratape P on the sixth day. It can then join the programme used by the rest of the horses.

General point: Worm all horses that share the same grazing on the same day and with the same product. 
Panacur granules are priced around £4.50 for a 10g sachet. For routine treatment of horses, administer orally 5g Panacur Equine Granules per 150kg bodyweight (= 7.5mg fenbendazole/kg bodyweight). 
Panacur Equine Paste is priced around £9 per syringe and 1 syringe per 600kg bodyweight should be administered orally (= 7.5mg fenbendazole/kg bodyweight). For example, for a Thoroughbred weighing 501-600kg one syringe should be administered but for a Welsh type weighing 350-400kg, the dose should be syringe mark 400kg. 
Panacur Equine Guard is priced between £13 and £14 per bottle. As an example of daily dosage, a Thoroughbred or light hunter type would have 45ml for a five day course. Each bottle is sufficient to treat either a 600kg horse or two 300kg ponies for five days. Pyratape P is priced around £10 per syringe and, as an example, the correct dosing for the routine worming of a Thoroughbred weighing 501-600kg would be syringe mark 600kg (1full syringe), and a Welsh type weighing 350-400 kg would be 400kg.

 When using Pyratape P for tapeworm control, Thoroughbreds (weighing 501-600kg), for example, should be administered two syringes and Welsh types (weighing 350-400kg) should be given one syringe plus another 200kg syringe mark.

Remember - it only costs around £100 a year to worm a 600kg horse, and an unbelievable £50 a year for a pony – less than £1 a week.

For more information or advice on worming, contact your local veterinary surgery or retailer.

Notes

Pyratype P contains 11.4g pyrantel embonate as an active ingredient per 28.5g syringe. 
Further information is available on request. Legal category

Panacur Equine Guard contains 100mg/ml fenbendazole as an active ingredient. 
Further information is available on request.  Legal category

Panacur Equine Paste contains 187mg/g fenbendazole as an active ingredient.

Further information is available on request.  Legal category

Panacur Equine Granules contain 220mg/ml fenbendazole as an active ingredient.
Further information is available on request. Legal category

 Information Kindly supplied by:
Intervet UK Limited, Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes, MK7 7AJ.

Worming Links

Westgate Laboratories: Worm Count site for caring horse owners.