Parasite Control Program
For years, in order to protect your horses from the ill effects of internal parasites, the recommendation has been to de-worm every 8 to 12 weeks, rotating the products you use.
Recent findings, however, show that one possible result of this protocol is that internal parasites are quickly developing resistance to almost every de-wormer available to horse owners today. The older de-wormers, such as fenbendazole, oxibendazole and pyrantel are, as a result, less effective, while the newer products—ivermectin and moxidectin (Quest)—are achieving better results. The caveat is that, resistance to these newer products is inevitable and there are no new de-worming products currently on the horizon.
What this means for you and your horses.
To address this issue from the perspective of protecting your horses’ health, Newmarket Equine Clinic has developed a new de-worming program based on the accepted theory that a small percentage of horses carry the majority of the worm burden on an individual farm. If we can de-worm those with the heaviest burden, we will significantly decrease pasture contamination with eggs and, therefore, indirectly protect the other herd members. The overall effect of the program will be to combat parasite resistance with less frequent use of de-wormers in less-burdened horses while providing protection for all. Some horses may only need to be de-wormed twice per year. The recommendations will be based on seasonal effects on parasite survival, environmental factors, the number of horses on the farm, the age and condition of each horse, and fecal egg counts (number of eggs per gram).
Newmarket Equine's De-worming Program:
We have modified our parasite control program that we developed a few years ago to better suit our clients and patients. We have incorporated the program into our wellness plans, instead of having two separate programs in which you have to enroll to meet your horses' yearly health needs. Each wellness plan includes, in addition to vaccinations and other preventive care, two fecals, an on-site farm evaluation, physical examinations of your horses, and an individualized de-worming plan for the year. If you do not enroll in our wellness plans, we can still provide a parasite control program for your farm. We recommend at least two fecals per horse per year, and using this information in addition to an evaluation of your farm and individual horses, we can devise a de-worming plan specific to your situation. Please call us before bringing in fecal samples, so that we can advise you as to the most appropriate time to collect the samples.
The benefits to you and your horses
1. You will no longer have to wonder if you are de-worming with the appropriate drugs at the appropriate time of year. Our program will specify what product to use and when to use it for each individual horse.
2. Over the course of the year, participation in our program will decrease the expense of de-worming products for you, as there will be significantly less use of these products in your horses.
3. In addition, the chemical load on your horses will be decreased.
Program costs
If you are enrolled in our wellness plans, or are interested in enrolling, please view our wellness program information and prices, as the parasite program is now incorporated into these plans. If you are not interested in enrolling in our wellness program, the cost per fecal test is $23. There is also a $50 fee for an individualized de-worming plan for your farm if you have 10 horses or less. There is an additional $5 fee for each additional horse over 10 horses.
For more information, please call our office. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SAMPLE DE-WORMING CHART
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