Techniques for Administration of Horse Wormers

The administration of horse wormers is a vital part of any horse management program. Internal parasites lower the horse's resistance to diseases, rob the animal of valuable nutrients and can cause gastrointestinal irritation. In extreme cases, they can lead to colic, intestinal ruptures, and even death. The key to successful administration of horse wormers is to ensure that the deworming product is administered at the appropriate time and that the proper dose is completely consumed by the animal. Oral pastes and food additive dewormers have become widely used as they are convenient and easy to administer.

  1. Rotational Deworming using Oral Paste

    • The most widely used method of deworming by horse owners is a rotation of oral paste dewormer products administered on a yearly schedule. These products are available in a syringe dispenser format from your local feed store and are easy for horse owners to administer. Typically these dewormers are given every six or eight weeks and include Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, Pyrantel Pamoate and Ivermectin/Praziquantel medications to treat the worms. Depending on the age and health of your horse, your farm and pasture conditions and your horse's exposure to parasites, your local veterinarian will prescribe the most effective rotational schedule for your horse.

    Rotational Deworming Using Nasogastric Tube

    • Rotational deworming medications can also be administered using a nasogastric tube. This method utilizes the same chemical dewormers as the oral paste, but the medication is given through a tube inserted into the nasal passages and passed down the esophagus into the stomach. The advantage of using a nasogastric tube over an oral paste syringe is that the veterinarian can ensure the proper dose is delivered directly to the horse's stomach. This method is useful for animals that do not like the taste of the dewormer and tend to spit it out. However, the tube can cause the animal discomfort when inserted and administration requires the assistance of a veterinarian to ensure that the nasogastric tube is inserted safely.

    Daily Administration of Dewormer through Food Additives

    • Some horse owners prefer a daily dose of dewormer as it is a convenient method of administration. The dewormer is added to the horse's feed once a day. This method helps to control the parasites all year long. Strongid is often recommended by veterinarians as an effective daily dewormer. In addition to the daily wormer, most vets recommend two doses of Ivermectin and Ivermectin/Praziquantel oral paste in the spring and fall to combat tapeworms.

      As an alternative to chemical dewormer additives, some horse owners are moving to an all natural source for parasite control such as diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth products can be fed to horses for internal and external natural parasite control; however, these products are not widely accepted by veterinarians and should be used with caution as substantial testing has not been performed on the effects of the additive.

    Strategic Deworming

    • Strategic deworming involves performing a fecal analysis to identify the parasite egg counts in samples of your horse's feces to determine when deworming is necessary. Depending on the results of the fecal test, your veterinarian will prescribe the appropriate dewormer treatment. Once an initial treatment has been completed, most veterinarians recommend yearly fecal exams to monitor the parasite growth in the animal. This method is growing in popularity as parasites are beginning to build a resistance to many over-the-counter oral paste dewormers due to continuous rotational administration. Strategic deworming helps the horse owner to avoid over-medicating his animal and increases the drug efficacy of the oral pastes. The downside to this method is that it requires regular visits from your veterinarian.