What should I look for?
Worms in horses are a problem that’s not always easy to get your head around. While some heavy worm infestations in the gut can lead to weight loss and even gut obstructions, this severity is rare. However, one of the most serious risks is from large red worms migrating through blood vessels that supply the gut and disrupting blood supply, leading to serious colic or even death.
Types of worms
The most significant worms are large red worms (strongyles), small red worms (small strongyles), threadworms and large roundworms.
Large red worms are the biggest enemy to your horse. As their most serious effects can occur before they become adults in the gut, you may not be aware of any signs of infection before it’s too late. That’s why the best strategy is prevention.
Small red worms are the most common worms of horses. Horses take in the larval stage of worms with pasture. These larvae then burrow into the gut wall and hibernate over winter. They can then emerge in large numbers in spring and cause gut damage leading to weight loss, diarrhoea and colic.
Roundworms can cause serious problems for foals. Most adult horses develop good immunity to these worms that can reach up to 50cm. Again, the larvae can cause problems as they migrate through the liver and lungs. The most common signs are a cough or other respiratory signs in foals or, less commonly, diarrhoea and weight loss.
Threadworms can also cause anaemia and diarrhoea in foals. Pinworms are known for causing damage to horses, fences and property as horses become incredibly itching and damage things trying to scratch themselves.
Lifecycle
Large and small red worms lay eggs that are passed in poo. These eggs hatch and then grow to a stage where they climb grass and are eaten by an unsuspecting horse.
Large roundworms produce many eggs that stick around the horse’s hind end or other objects in the environment. Foals often take in the eggs during suckling from their dam. Threadworms are taken in by the foal in the mare’s milk.
Control
For an effective worm control program, you need to drench to remove worms from your horse. Drench can be purchased at reception. It is a good idea to acclimatise your horse to the idea of having tasty pastes in their mouths first, like molasses or apple sauce. Regularly removing poo from your horse’s environment and monitoring worm burdens using testing kits can also assist in worm control.
If you have questions about setting up an effective worm control program, give us a call. |