Apache says, “What?! I have worms?!”
Take it easy, pretty lady. It’s not that bad. At least you’re not infested with them.
A little over a week ago, I got the results back from Apache’s Fecal Egg Count Examination. And this is what the report said:
“Apache: Low Contaminator
- Strongyle 50 eggs per gram
Definition: Horses with egg counts less than 150 eggs per gram (EPG) are classified as Low Contaminators, and those with EPGs greater than 500 EPG are classified as High
Contaminators. The remainder of horses, with EPGs between 150 and 500 EPG, are classified as Moderate Contaminators.
-Counts between 200 and 300 are an indicator to de-worm the horse.
Fecal Egg Counts should be performed with horses > or = 3 years of age but only after a sufficient interval has elapsed since their last anthelmintic treatment; 6-8 weeks should be a sufficient interval after dewormers of the benzimidazole or pyrimidine classes, but a 10-12 week interval should be used after using Ivermectin or Moxidectin.
Apache says, “Well, cut to the chase. What does all this wormy business mean for me?”
Low contaminators should be treated with a large strongyle larvicide at intervals of 6 months.
In this area usually deworm in May with Ivermectin. Then deworm again in November with Moxidectin+Praziquantel. This should limit the transmission of Anoplocephala [the horse tapeworm]. Biannual administration of Ivermectin or Moxidectin also disrupts transmission of cyathostomes [small strongyle] for at least 2 months after treatment, so these measures are proposed as the sole control efforts for horses that are low contaminators.
Moderate contaminators receive one additional treatments of Benzimidazoles or Pyrantel to reduce cyathostome egg excretion during the main season of local transmission [May-November]. High contaminators would receive two additional treatments as described above during this time frame.”
Apache says, “Whew! That’s a relief! I can sleep better now, knowing that creepy worms aren’t invading my body”
And I say, “That $22.00 fecal test fee was money well spent!”
