As\u00a0we move into the warmer months here in Virginia, pasture exposure increases \u2014 and so does parasite transmission. Spring is the perfect time to review your horse\u2019s parasite control plan before grazing season is fully underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internal parasites are often a sneaky member of your horse\u2019s environment that can cause potentially serious side effects to their gastrointestinal health if left unchecked and poorly managed. While we cannot see them easily out in the environment, internal parasites can wreak havoc on the horse\u2019s gastrointestinal tract causing irritation to the internal lining of the GI which affects the horse\u2019s ability to absorb adequate nutrients, and in more severe cases, causing colic. Our most common culprits in horses are strongyles, ascarids (\u201croundworms), and depending on the season, tapeworms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do we detect the parasite load in our horses?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most usefull tool we have is a fecal egg count (FEC). A fecal egg count measures how many parasite eggs your horse is shedding in their manure. While the FEC levels do not directly correlate with levels of clinical disease in the horse nor do they tell us the exact number of worms inside your horse, they do give us a good indication of<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some parasites, such as tapeworms, may require more specialized testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In horses identified as \u201chigh shedders\u201d, or horses that have an elevated count of parasite eggs detected on FEC, a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) may need to be performed. This involved performing a fecal test before deworming and again approcimately two weeks after treatment to measure how effective the dewormer is in lowering the parasite levels in your horse. Environmental Management Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Good parasite control does not rely on dewormers alone. Pasture management plays a major role in reducing exposure. As recommended by the AAEP “Wage War on Equine Parasite” guidelines: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Deworming Protocols<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are many deworming products on the market for horses, it is important to have a targeted approach when selecting the type and timing of a dewormer. Traditionally, deworming was performed on a regular basis regardless of the level of parasite eggs detected in a horse\u2019s fecal test. Ongoing research in equine parasitology has shown us that many common worms are forming resistance to our commonly used products therefore requiring we use a targeted approach on high shedding individuals for repeated dewormer use. This is is similar to the way that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. Once resistance develops, we cannot reverse it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please use veterinary guidance for selecting the correct product for your horse based on time of year, environment, and your horse\u2019s age group. Foals, weanlings, yearlings, adults and senior horses are all approached slightly differently in their product and FEC test interpretation so please use veterinary guidance when transitioning between age classes to adjust deworming protocol effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you work with our team, you can expect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most common questions we receive is “What does 0 EPG mean?” <\/strong>Occasionally, a fecal egg count comes back as 0 eggs per gram. This does not mean your horse is completely parasite-free. No horse is ever truly parasite-free. It simply means the parasite burden is low and not actively shedding eggs at the time of testing \u2014 which is exactly our goal. We aim to maintain a low, controlled worm burden that does not impact health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategic parasite control protects your horse today \u2014 and preserves the effectiveness of our medications for the future. If you\u2019re unsure when your horse last had a fecal egg count \u2014 or if you\u2019d like to review your farm\u2019s parasite strategy \u2014 our team is happy to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As\u00a0we move into the warmer months here in Virginia, pasture exposure increases \u2014 and so does parasite transmission. Spring is the perfect time to review your horse\u2019s parasite control plan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-events"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhat Parasite Control Looks Like at Woodside<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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