Kern Road Veterinary Clinic

Remember to Deworm You Horse!

Horses are grazing animals that eat off the ground where they eliminate, so they are almost constantly exposed to internal parasites (worms). By deworming your horse every 6-8 weeks, you are breaking the life cycle of the parasite before it can mature and produce millions of worm eggs. The goal is to eliminate as many parasites as possible inside the horse and prevent eggs from contaminating the environment. Horses that live in crowded paddocks should be dewormed even more often. Rotate types of dewormer ingredient (not just brands) with each deworming to reduce the development of drug resistance. The name of the ingredient can be found on the tube or box. Have a fecal exam done yearly to make sure that your deworming program is doing its job.

If ignored, internal parasites in horses can cause colic, weight loss, skin and hair problems and respiratory illness. Sometimes these problems can even be fatal. Foals are even more susceptible than adults and should be dewormed regularly as well; just check to make sure that the dewormer you use is safe for foals. Deworming is an in expensive and easy part of preventive health care for every horse. Don.t miss out on this essential task!

Sample Rotational Deworming Schedule

Month	Dewormer	Notes
Jan/Feb	Panacur (fenbendazole)	This is a good time to give a Panacur PowerPac while environmental parasites are low (these can be purchased through Kern Road Vet or other suppliers).
March/April	Strongid (pyrantal)
May/June	Ivermectin or Equimax/Zimectrin Gold (ivermectin + praziquantal)	Be sure to use something with praziquantal at least once a year to eliminate tapeworms
July/Aug	Panacur (fenbendazole)
Sept/Oct	Strongid (pyrantal)	A double dose of strongid can also eliminate tapeworms
Nov/Dec	Ivermectin or Equimax/Zimectrin Gold (ivermectin + praziquantal)	Give after the 1st hard, killing frost to eliminate bots.

This schedule is only a guideline. Different dewormers can be used at different times; the rotation of ingredients is what is important. The Nov/Dec deworming is the only one that should not be changed, due to the limited window of opportunity to kill bots.

Please contact us at 517-223-9618 if you have any questions.