|
How often should I worm with EQVALAN®?
Every 8-10 weeks in adult horses and every 6 weeks in young foals, but it is advisable to determine the need by means of a worm egg count. What else should I do to control worms?
The only really effective way of controlling worms is to use a planned worming programme combined with good pasture management. Click here to start your own personalised worming planner with our new online tool This includes removing droppings twice a week and not grazing too many horses together. Resting the pasture or rotational grazing is effective as a way of reducing the number of worms on the pasture but only if the paddocks are left rested from Autumn to mid-June the following year. Can pregnant mares be treated with EQVALAN®?
EQVALAN® can safely be used during all stages of pregnancy and in breeding stallions. How do horses become infected?
The cycle of infection begins when roundworm eggs are passed out in the droppings and develop into immature worms in the dung. These then climb up blades of damp grass and are eaten by the horse. What damage do worms cause?
Loss of condition such as weight loss, dull coat and lethargy, loss of performance, diarrhoea, colic, and sometimes even death. Is it true that it's important to worm foals? Foals are particularly susceptible to worm infestations and should be routinely treated (together with their dams) from 6 weeks of age at 8 week intervals until they are around 18 months old. Foals can become infected with threadworms soon after birth via the mare's milk. This is one of a number of causes of diarrhoea in young foals. If threadworms are confirmed to be the cause, affected foals will need worming in the first few weeks of life. Large roundworms are also important and can be fatal in young growing foals up to 18 months of age. Treat every 6 weeks for large roundworms. EQVALAN® is the only wormer-type recommended for the treatment of both threadworms and large roundworms at the standard dose in foals under 4 months of age. What happens to the worms when they are eaten? In a typical life cycle immature worms (larvae) hatch from eggs in dung, and then crawl up blades of grass near the dung and are eaten. Most immature worms develop into adults in the gut of the horse. Some species burrow through the gut wall into the blood and are then carried to other parts of the body. It is here, in areas such as the arteries, liver or lungs, where the immature stages of the worms can cause serious damage before making their way back to the gut to complete their development into adult worms. Eggs from adult worms are passed out in the dung to start the cycle of infection again. At what age can I start to treat my foals with EQVALAN®? EQVALAN® can be used to treat horses and foals of any age. It is recommended that foals are routinely wormed at 6-8 weeks of age and are then wormed regularly every 6-8 weeks until they are 18 months old. They may require a treatment earlier than this for threadworms. If large roundworms are a specific problem, treat foals every 6 weeks over the period of risk. Which are the most damaging worms? Small redworms can be present in huge numbers and usually account for at least 90% of the horse’s worm burden. It is not unusual for horses to be infected with as many as a million of these parasites. In the Autumn, as it gets colder, an increasing number of worms hibernate in the gut wall in small cysts. At this stage, they are very resistant to worm treatment and can cause problems in late Winter onwards when they erupt out the gut wall. If tens of thousands all emerge at the same time, this causes massive damage leading to loss of condition, diarrhoea, colic and even death. Large redworms are also damaging but less common than small redworms. Severe tapeworm infection can cause colic and even death. Is it true that grazing horses with cattle and sheep helps prevent worm problems? Yes, worms that affect horses do not generally affect sheep or cattle, so, if you can, graze them together. This will help reduce the numbers of worms that your horses are exposed to and improve the pasture quality Can I over-dose my horse with EQVALAN®? EQVALAN® and EQVALAN® Duo have high safety margins in foals and adult horses. If you have any concerns contact your veterinary surgeon immediately.
| 
