A very hot topic amongst all horse owners is worming, and this is of course because we don’t want our horses to suffer from ill-thrift, weight loss, diarrhoea, or even colic.

In the subtropical South-East Queensland we worry about worms even more because they can be a problem all-year-round thanks to our mild winter temperatures and moist environment.  So we need to deworm our horses more often, which can very easily lead to problems with resistance, not to mention become very costly very quickly if you own several horses.
Did you know that not all horses in the same paddock carry the same worm burden, but in fact, 35% of the horses in a given herd are responsible for 85% of the pasture contamination with internal parasites?
So how do you know exactly which wormer to use, how often to use it and does changing brands of products count as wormer rotation?  To navigate your way through the wormer jungle, the easiest and most cost effective way can be to take advantage of a faecal egg count test.  This test can determine what parasites your horse is harbouring, and in what numbers, and based on these results the appropriate dewormer can be selected. And if you own a number of horses,  determining which ones are the high shedders will allow for a better targeted treatment.
So why shouldn’t we just keep treating our horses regularly regardless, assuming the worst case scenario? Another important factor about deworming our horses is parasite resistance. Resistance develops by using the same dewormer over and over again, and often by underdosing.  A faecal egg count can also be used to test the effectiveness of a given dewormer for your particular parasite population.  This involves taking a sample for a faecal egg count before treatment, and then repeating the test 2 weeks after deworming to determine how much the numbers the deworming reduced the parasite numbers.  But overdosing can be almost as bad as underdosing. Overzealous deworming can lead dung beetle and earthworm death in the soil, laminitis events in horses, neurological signs in miniature horses, and also the development of resistant parasites.  And deworming more often than you need to will obviously be more expensive, particularly if you own several animals. And of course faecal egg counts are equally important in other species as well, particularly sheep, goats, and alpacas.
Strategic deworming  - using the appropriate dewormer, as needed, can be cost effective and can help lessen the chance of parasite resistance to deworming products.  All you need to do is bring in a fresh manure sample to the Old Mill Veterinary Surgery, where an in-house pathologist will perform a faecal egg count and make a deworming plan that suits your situation the best.  During March this service will only cost $15 (normally $45), and at our monthly Equine Solutions Clinic on the 20th of March we are going to be discussing all things related to worms, and performing faecal egg counts on the day, with same day results. 
For any questions regarding the test, or the Equine Solutions Clinic, please call the surgery on 3425 2222.