The new way of thinking: Targeted Deworming |
Deworming rotation programs have been the standard practice for many years. However, it is no longer the recommended practice as we are now seeing parasite resistance to many of the dewormers that are used. By inappropriately deworming our horse(s), we are actually contributing to the rapid growth of parasite resistance. At Countryside, we choose to take a more precise approach at deworming by targeting the parasites that are actually present, as well as the life stage the parasites are within the body. Fecal egg counts (FEC) are currently the best method of estimating worm burdens in your horse. FEC are easily performed and provide a tremendous amount of information necessary for parasite control. It is important to remember that dewormer programs need to be designed for each individual horse, not the entire herd or barn.
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Fighting resistance
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Can you check for resistance? A fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) can be used to evaluate your horse's resistance. The goal of the test is to see if the wormer being used is actually effective and reducing the parasite load.
What else you need to know:
We recommend performing a FEC in the spring and fall to effectively monitor your deworming program. |