Horse Dewormers & Parasite Treatment

Deworming horses is an important part of your horse's health management. Horses are prone to internal parasites, which can cause various health problems, including weight loss, diarrhea, colic, and even death in severe cases.

The most common intestinal parasites in horses are strongyles, ascarids, tapeworms, and bots. Deworming medications, also known as anthelmintics, are used to kill or remove these parasites from the horse's body.

It is recommended that horses be administered dewormer regularly, typically every two to three months, although the exact schedule may vary depending on factors such as age, health, and environment. Your vet can help you determine the best deworming schedule for your horse.

It is important to use deworming medications correctly to ensure their effectiveness and minimize the risk of resistance developing in the parasite population. Proper dosing, timing, and rotation of deworming medications can help prevent resistance from developing. Your veterinarian can provide guidance on proper deworming practices for your horse.

How Frequently Does My Horse Need To Be Treated With Dewormer?

The timing of deworming your horse depends on several factors, including your horse's age, health, living conditions, and the type of intestinal parasites prevalent in your area.

Generally, it is recommended to deworm horses every two to three months, but it is best to consult with your vet regarding your own horse's needs.

Horses that live in high-density environments, such as boarding stables or spend a lot of time on showgrounds, may require more frequent deworming to prevent the spread of parasites.

Your veterinarian can help you determine the most appropriate deworming schedule for your horse based on their individual needs and circumstances. It is important to follow the recommended deworming protocols to prevent parasitic infections and maintain your horse's health.

Fecal Egg Count, An Alternative To Deworming?

We've been deworming our horses for decades now, and I feel like most of us will continue the cycle of deworming. There have however been isolated reports where horses have developed neurologic signs after deworming. These have been extremely rare cases but it has prompted some people to seek an alternative.

A fecal egg count (FEC) is a laboratory test that measures the number of parasitic eggs in a horse's feces. It is commonly used by veterinarians to assess the level of internal parasites in a horse's digestive tract and to determine whether deworming is necessary.

It is recommended that this test is carried out in Spring and Fall although many owners elect to only carry out one in the Spring.

Based on the results of the FEC, your vet can recommend a targeted deworming program that focuses on the specific parasites that are present in your horse. This helps to reduce the use of dewormers and prevent the development of resistance to these medications in the parasite population.

A low FEC indicates that your horse has a low level of parasite infection and may not require deworming. In contrast, a horse with a high FEC may require more frequent deworming or the use of different dewormers.

It is important to note that while FEC is a valuable tool for determining the need for deworming, it is not always accurate, and it should be used in combination with other factors such as your horse's age, health, and living conditions when determining the appropriate deworming program. Your vet can help you interpret FEC results and create a deworming plan that is tailored to your horse's individual needs.

What Parasites Does Each Dewormer Target?

Here's a short guide to what parasites the common dewormers target:

Ivermectin: Targets all except tapeworms, roundworms have a high resistance to ivermectin.

Ivermectin and praziquantel: Targets all, roundworms have a high resistance to ivermectin.

Pyrantel: Targets bloodworms, pinworms, and roundworms.

Fenbendazole: Targets bloodworms, pinworms, and roundworms.

Moxidectin: Targets all except tapeworms, roundworms have a high resistance to Moxidectin.

Moxidectin and praziquantel: Targets all, roundworms have a high resistance to Moxidectin.

Deworming Pregnant Mares And Younger Horses

Pregnant Mares should be kept to their regularly scheduled deworming treatments. However, it is generally recommended to deworm a pregnant mare approximately two weeks before foaling and also administer ivermectin within 24hrs of foaling.

This helps reduce the mare's worm burden before foaling, which can help minimize the risk of transmission of intestinal parasites to the newborn foal. It's important to work with your veterinarian to select a dewormer that is safe for use during pregnancy.

For young horses, it is important to deworm them frequently as they are more susceptible to internal parasites. Foals should be dewormed at two months of age and again every four to six weeks until they are six months old. Yearlings should be dewormed every eight weeks.

Highly Recommended Horse Dewormers

Before you plan a schedule to deworm your horse you might want to invest in a parasite testing kit. These kits are well-equipped for the process and will save you the vet call-out fee and any other associated costs.

Features:

• Kits include everything you need to collect and safely ship a horse's fecal sample. 

• Easy to understand testing results

• Results are given by email or mail within 48hrs of the sample receipt.  

Equine Parasite Test Kit

Quest Plus Gel Wormer (moxidectin/praziquantel)

Features:

• Broad-spectrum efficacy: large and small strongyles, encysted cyathostomes, ascarids, pinworms, hairworms, large mouth stomach worms, stomach bots, and tapeworms.

• Single-dose treatment: easy to administer and convenient.

• Safe for use in most horses: Quest Plus Gel Wormer is safe for use in most horses, including pregnant mares and foals over six months.

• Approved: approved for use in pregnant mares and stallions.

• Multipacks: also available in a 5-pack or 12-pack for additional savings.

Quest Plus Wormer

Ivermectin Single Dose Dewormer

Features:

• Broad-spectrum efficacy: large strongyles, small strongyles, ascarids/roundworms, pinworms, hairworms, large-mouth stomach worms, bots, lungworms, intestinal threadworms, and neck threadworms.

• Single-dose treatment: easy to administer and convenient.

• Trusted Brand: trusted by horse owners for nearly 20 years.

• Multipacks: also available in a 6-pack and 12-pack for additional savings.

Ivermectin Wormer

Anthelcide EQ Dewormer

Features:

• Targeted efficacy: large strongyles, small strongyles, large roundworms, pinworms, including various larval stages and threadworms.

• Single treatment: easy to administer and convenient.

• Multipacks: also available in a 6-pack and 12-pack for additional savings

Anthelcide EQ Wormer

Also read:

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