April worming for round and tapeworm

Worms can be extremely dangerous to horses and sometimes it is not obvious that a horse has worms but can quickly become a very serious problem, even cauing death before it is known that the horse had worms. Sometimes a healthy looking horse who has a shiny coat etc can be heavily infested.

Some obvious signs of worm infestation include itching the hind quarters, dull looking and weight loss. Droppings should always be checked for worms. If a horse has a heavy worm burden you may see rapid weight loss, depression, colic or sudden death.

It is recommended that horses are treated for round and tapeworms twice every year, in April and October. It is worth while to invest in a good quality wormer, which tend to be more expensive. Some horse wormers may appear to be doing the job but in actual fact they leave a lot of worms in the system. Wormers such as Strongid P (used at double dose) and Equest Pramox are effective against round and tapeworms.

It is important to have a good worming programme in place, which is far more technical than it may first seem. Until a problem occurs many of us may think we have a good worming programme already in place and are completely oblivious to the problems that can arrise.

Most equine vets will be happy to advise!