The Piedmont Equine Practice recommends deworming horses on a conservative schedule that is based on performing Fecal Egg Counts (FEC). This is due to the rising concern for parasite resistance to our current dewormers and is based on numerous scientific research studies. Please note: even if your horse’s Fecal Egg Count is zero, a base schedule of deworming is still recommended as the sample provided may not have been representative or the horse may not have been shedding parasite eggs at the time of sample collection.
Deworming Schedule for:
“Low Shedders” (under 200 eggs per gram on IDEXX fecal egg count (FEC))
Deworming Schedule for:
“Moderate Shedders” (200-500 eggs per gram on Fecal Egg Count)
AND
“High Shedders” (500+ eggs per gram on Fecal Egg Count)
*ALL DOSINGS SHOULD BE DONE BY WEIGHT – USE CAUTION IN SMALL (ponies, mini) or LARGE EQUINES
**Please be sure that body weights are accurate! This is especially important in our smaller patients because moxidectin (Quest) has a narrow margin of safety. This means that the therapeutic dose and the dose at which harmful side effects may be seen with the use of moxidectin are closely related. In patients where weight may be difficult to ascertain or estimate, use ivermectin(broader margin of safety) to reduce the risk of unwanted side effects.
PEP deworming and vaccination recommendations are appropriate for ALL equine species (donkeys, mules, zebras, etc). Please speak with your DVM if you have questions or concerns regarding your specific situation.
* Feel free to stop by the clinic (please call ahead) if you would like to weigh your equines.
* When bringing fecal balls to the clinic for the FEC, one ball per horse is sufficient.
* A Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) performed 14 days after ANY dewormer should result in a 90%+ reduction. If not, resistance is present and these results should be used to guide dewormer selection.
* New arrivals to the herd with an unknown deworming history should have a FEC done and be treated with QUEST (or Panacur Powerpac). Two weeks later a FECRT should be performed to further guide therapy.
*As horses age, some can revert to becoming high shedders and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (Cushings), has been associated with higher counts as well Thus, it is important to monitor egg shedding status in this age group and adjust treatment recommendations accordingly.
* A five-day regimen of double dose Panacur (Panacur Powerpac) may also be effective against strongyles on SOME farms. Use FECRT for guidance.
* If tapeworms are evident on fecal at any time, praziquantel should be administered.
Guidelines for Deworming Foals:
* Do not deworm until at least 60 days of age.
* Do not use QUEST (moxidectin) or ivermectin until around 6 months of age (weaning). Primary worm burden prior to 6 months of age is ascarids (resistant to avermectins), so deworming should focus on removing this burden through use of benzimidazoles.
* After about 9 months of age, deworming should focus more on removing strongyles (using avermectins) than removing ascarids (using benzimidazoles).
* Schedule Fecal Egg Count Reduction Tests at 5-6 and 12 months of age. This involves performing Fecal Egg Counts in samples collected two weeks apart to confirm reduction in numbers and to monitor for worm resistance to dewormer used. Deworming strategy may be altered depending upon the results of the FECRT.
Deworming Schedule for Foals (under 12 months old):