dimanche 13 avril 2014

Owners Learn About Horse Wormers

By Anita Ortega


The internet is easy to use to learn about parasitic organisms that infect horses, how to detect them, and what options are available to eliminate the problem. You'll find horse wormers that use tested chemicals to kill internal parasites and natural, chemical-free preparations. Pasture-management methods are important, as well.

The number of organisms that live at least part of their lifespan inside horses is daunting. There are large and small strogyles, tapeworms, bots, and ascarids (roundworms). Less common but still potential problems are lungworms, threadworms, pinworms, hairworms, and large-mouth stomach worms. Fecal and blood tests can tell owners which parasites are present in their animals' systems.

Owners can often tell if a horse is 'wormy' by its appearance and actions. If there is a serious infestation, the animal will be lethargic and hard to keep weight on, with frequent bouts of colic or diarrhea. The coat will be rough and dull, and the tail may be rubbed at the top.

Owners should know which worms are prevalent in their locality. These may change with the seasons. For example, bot flies lay their yellow eggs on legs, chest, and underbelly in the summer. The eggs are ingested by the horse when they scratch themselves, and the larvae hatch inside the stomach. This is not a problem that early spring worming needs to address. Overgrazed pastures lead to more reinfestation, so worming will have to be more frequent.

Most owners use chemical products for worming that target parasites that are common to the area or that have been found in tests. Some broad-spectrum wormers like Ivermectin get many species. You can check the labels to see which parasites each product addresses, or you can let your veterinarian decide what you should use.

Non-chemical approaches include pasture rotation. If a pasture is allowed to rest for six months, most viable eggs and larvae will die off. Regular mowing and dragging can help expose larvae to predators and sunlight, which reduces the problem. Picking up droppings frequently can eliminate reinfection altogether in some areas. It's recommended to feed hay and grain in troughs - up off the ground - to reduce the chance that the animals will ingest eggs and larvae.

Natural products include diatomaeceous earth, a powder made of fossilized plankton which abrades worms inside the digestive tract without side effects. There are also herbal formulas and homepathic remedies. Products of both chemical and alternative formulation come in liquids, powders, pellets, and pastes.

Addressing parasite problems is an essential part of regular care. Even those who keep their fields parasite-free need to have regular fecal tests done to make sure some new threat has not crept in. It's a complicated subject but one that is easily researched online if you don't want to depend on your veterinarian's knowledge.

It's a complicated subject, but it's not hard to understand with a little research. The internet makes learning easy, whether you want to know which products are available or the life cycle of the ascarid.




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