Horse deworming?

Question

Ok, i went to my local feed store and got dewormer but i couldnt find my normal one that i use.I asked a guy that worked there if my normal wormer was in stock,he said "No, but thats kinda a good thing...every time you get a dewormer use a differnt kind,like a pattern, so your horse doesnt stay imune to 1 dewormer."
that sounds really good and sound truthful...but would you do this?


also if you would change every time should we do that with feed too?

I dont know if this helps but my parents deworm him.

We worm once a month.

Star me! ;)

Answer 1

Yes, he is being truthful, at our barn we have a schedual up on the board that says....

January/February
fenbendazole - a safe and effective wormer paste for the control of large and small strongyles, ascrids & pinworms in horses. Panacur, Anthlecide EQ, Safeguard are the choices for this month.

March/April
1.87% ivermectin & Moxidectrin - Paste wormer and boticide that controls bots, ascrids, large and small strongyls, pin, hair, stomach and threadworms. For use in all horses of any age, including pregnant or nursing mares. For safe effective control of 34 species & stages of worms and bots. Foals should be treated initially at 6 - 8 weeks of age and routine treatment repeated as appropriate. Equimax, Equimectrin, Zimectrin or ZIMECTRIN GOLD** are the choices for this month.

May/June
pyrantel pamoate - Removes internal parasites in all types of horses and ponies: large strongules (bloodworms), small strongyles, pinworms & roundworms. Horses and ponies ( over 8 months) should be treated every 6 weeks. Mares should be treated 1 month before foaling and again 10 days after foaling. Foals dose (2-8 months of age) every 4 weeks. Strongid Paste, Strongid C, Rotation 2, Exodus Paste are the choices for this month.

July/August
fenbendazole: Panacur, Anthlecide EQ, Safeguard are the choices for this month.

September/October
1.87% ivermectin & Moxidectrin Quest Gel,Equimax, Equimectrin, Zimectrin or ZIMECTRIN GOLD** are the choices for this month.

November/December
pyrantel pamoate Strongid Paste, Strongid C, Rotation 2, Exodus Paste are the choices for this month.


The reason you use different wormers every month is because
a) So your horse doesn't stay immune to one dewormer
b) The schedual is designed so that every month, the wormer you give your horse protects him against a different type of worm...

You may keep the feed the same, as that is different than wormer and should be kept the same unless they need special supplements or are getting to skinny/fat etc...

***** NOTE: Never use the wormer "Quest" me and very many other people have had bad experiences with the product over all. STAY AWAY FROM QUEST, unless well educated. My vet has been consistently warning people of its ill effects..not only is it a four month wormer, BUT, it is soooo strong that if you give it to a horse that is not on a current worming schedule, it will kill all the worms and eggs and everything so fast in the horses gut, that it can and HAS caused a large blockage of parasites to form in the intestines,causing fatal unoperable colic...WATCH OUT

Answer 2

Most vets say to rotate dewormers. Ask your vet and see what they say.
I personally use two dewormers, Ivermectin, and Fenbendazole. Those are it. The first does the trick for most worms.
The horse does not become immune to it, it's possible the worms do. So, what Ivermectin doesn't get, the Fenbendazole will get it.
Now, these are not names you can find, these are the drugs that are in the dewormer. So, look at the label closely and you will see those names.
Ivermectin can be Zimectrin. And Fenbendazole can be Quest, or Panacur.
I also say, better to deworm your horse than not at all. So whatever you got is way better than nothing.

As to the Feed schedule, you need to maintain the schedule the same every time. If you change feeds too often, or to radically, then your putting your horses health at risk. Horses can and will colic if given a new feed too quickly. If you need to change to a different grain that is not like the one you used to feed, you need to change it slowly. Keep the old feed and mix a little of the new feed. Gradually add more of the new feed and less of the old feed. That's the best method.
Good luck.

Answer 3

There's a different dewormer for different kinds of worms. Its best to rotate your dewormers, you don't want to use the same kind every time. Dewormer rotations vary based on where and what the climate is like where you live. You should ask your veterinarian to help you develop a deworming schedule that is appropriate for your horse.

As for the feed, horses aren't like humans and their feed schedule shouldn't be fooled around with. You can add a variety of supplements to your horse's diet but gradually. Changing your horses feed can make your horse sick. If for some reason you need to change it you should do so slowly and mix a little bit of the new feed into his current feed. Change more of the current feed to the new feed as more days pass until he is totally on the new feed. Remember that horses have very sensitive digestive systems.

Best wishes!

Answer 4

No, for pity sake do NOT change the type of FEED - not if you're dealing with horses.
OK - that out of the way - here's the wormer part.....
over time (and I MEAN over time) the parasites you are fighting can and will develope a resistance to the pesticide (yeah - it is a pesticide, lets not kid oursleves) in the wormer. So they do recommend a big, complicated pattern of doing one type for a time, and then a different kind for a while.
I think (have not checked) that if you go to he web sites of the wormer manufacturer, or probably Tractor Supply Store - you will see these charts.
But I don't think anyone tells you to change it EACH time - they seem to tell you to stick with one for a while - like months, half a year, whatever.
If you have a healthy horse, a lot of this will just be "hype" trying to get you to buy more than necessary of the worming product.
Eventually - we will have pumped so much pesticide into animals that the PESTS will have MUTATED themselves (that is called "evolution" - it happens all the time) so much that we will no longer have ANY medicine strong enough to kill them.
That is very very scarey - so - lots of (smart) folks say to go as minimal as possible with these things. Give the DOSE that they say - but think hard about doing the FREQUENCY they say.
Remember: the wormer manufacturers WILL lie to you - to get you to buy more of their product. Dont let them scare you.
What should scare you - is the day in the future when we have no medicines left to kill the mutated parasites ! (this goes for dogs and cats too -- and HUMANS can be infected by those kinds of parasites - it is a risk to all of us).
Question: Who gave wormer a hundred years ago to the wild Mustangs on the prairie???? NO BODY !! They survived !!

Answer 5

No feed changes should be done only if needed but wormer should be done on a ratating schedule depending on where you live.
You need to use something that covers tape worm at least once per year.
You need to use something that covers bots at least twice per year.
And in between you need to rotate the chemical type of wormer you use so the worms do not become resistant to the class of drugs you are using.
A good rotation plan is the floowing one.

Jan/Feb Equimax or Quest or Combo Care
Mar/April Panacur
May/June Ivermectin type of wormer
July/Aug Strongoid or Athlemeticide
Sept/Oct Quest or Equimax for tape worms
Nov/Dec ivermectin if you have had a hard freeze for bots.

Answer 6

Hi, the answer is No. I would not change dewormers if the present dewormer works or has been working in the past. Dewormers are an antiparaseptic that works on the parasite (worm), so generally, most dewormers can get the job done. Antiparaseptics are not bacteria or viruses that the body can build immunoglobulins to, so in short, there is no benefit from changing products, however, I would recommend using a quality dewormer as some products are simply not the same in effectiveness as others. Diet should not change either, I would keep the animal eating the same rations as before, it would place no bearing on the dewormer.

Answer 7

Switching makes a lot of sense. The horse will begin to build up a tolerance to certain dewormers, but the food should remain the same. There is nothing in the food that the horse will grow immune to.

Answer 8

We don't change our dewormers, we use the same make every time. But I guess it could be a good idea. I have used one other type but that's it. You could call your vet, he/she will know whats best.

I don't suggest changing the feed. You'd have to ween them into it if you do.

Answer 9

As most have said here,yes to the wormer no to the feed as the frequent change can upset their system and cause colic. Here are a couple of sites that might help too.

http://www.horsedata.co.uk/BasicRules.htm

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/111914.html

Answer 10

I would do it with the dewormer but not with the feed.