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Horsemen's Laboratory Newsletter
Worm Control News
December 2011
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 Should You Worry About Tapeworms?
Clients often ask about tapeworms and if it's possible to test for them with a fecal egg count. Currently, there is no reliable test for tapeworms that uses the stool. Several studies are underway to develop a better test for tapeworms. There is a blood test for antibodies that can tell us if a horse has been exposed to tapeworms but cannot tell us if the horse has tapeworms at the present time.
Mites Make Transmission Possible
Horsemen's Laboratory does occasionally find tapeworm eggs in fecal samples, so it's reasonable to assume that it is possible for tapeworms to be spread among horses pastured together. When horses pass tapeworm segments containing eggs in the pasture, tiny mites eat those segments, ingesting the head of the tapeworm. These mites will then climb up on the grass and be eaten by the horses where the life cycle of the tapeworm will be completed. Transmission from horse to horse cannot occur unless the mite is present, and the mite cannot survive and reproduce unless the climatological conditions are just right.
Why All the Sudden Interest in Tapeworms?
We have known for many years that horses have tapeworms, their presence confirmed by necropsy (animal autopsy on a horse that has died), but have given little attention to them. Now that medication has been developed to treat them, tapeworms are receiving increased attention because they are being credited with causing colic. However, there is still considerable skepticism among researchers and veterinarians as to whether or not tapeworms actually do cause colic.
Nevertheless, any horse owner who is concerned about tapeworms should deworm once or twice a year with a dewormer that contains praziquantel. The best time of year to deworm is 45-60 days after a killing frost or freeze. If a second deworming is desired, it should be 6 months later. For areas where it does not frost, owners can deworm for tapeworms any time of year. Horses kept in well-bedded box stalls or dry pens that are cleaned daily are at a low risk for tapeworms and should only need to be dewormed once a year.
Read more about tapeworms in an archived version of our newsletter.
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 Why Follow-up Testing Is Critical
You've had a fecal egg count done on your horse and the results were positive. As a responsible horse owner, you've dutifully given your horse dewormer, crossed your fingers, and hoped for the best. This approach will not tell you whether or not your deworming session has been effective. The ONLY way you will know is to retest. Horsemen's Laboratory recommends that the horse should be rechecked in 2-3 weeks after deworming following a positive test. There should be a 90% drop in the number of eggs seen in the follow-up fecal egg count unless one of the following situations occurs:
- the horse is infected with a strain of worms that is drug resistant.
- the horse did not swallow the full dose of dewormer.
Without the critical information provided by the follow-up fecal egg count, one would not even be aware that either of these situations had occurred. If you have questions about deworming or fecal egg count results, Dr. Byrd can provide guidance and help you decide the next best course of action.
Accepted New Deworming Protocol
We can't say it often enough ---- Horsemen's Laboratory highly recommends the new deworming protocol of testing first, followed by deworming only when necessary. The new deworming protocol minimizes your horse's exposure to unnecessary deworming, and also helps to reduce the rate of development of resistant strains of parasites.
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 Horsemen's Lab Moves to Expanded SpaceAs business expands, so does the need for space. Horsemen's Laboratory recently moved to a newly renovated larger space to accommodate the growing number of clients who are testing before deworming.
We encourage every horse owner to follow the updated deworming protocol, which you can read about in the
Equus Deworming Revolution Special Report .
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 A Word from Dr. Byrd
This is the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We thank each and every one of you and for your business. There is so much that we are grateful for ---- family, friends, our country, good health, food on the table, the lovely scent of horses and sweet sound of nickers as we enter the barn ---- we just can't seem to stop counting. Every blessing, from the smallest to the largest, enriches our lives. We hope that you, too, will take a moment to reflect on and to appreciate the good things in your life.
Did You Miss the Webinar?
Last month in our article about shipping your specimen, we mentioned that Martin Nielsen, DVM, PhD, assistant professor in equine parasitology at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center was scheduled to be a presenter at a free webinar on parasite control on October 25. If you missed the webinar, you can log in at Thehorse.com Webinars and view "Horse Worms: Learning to Live With Them".
Recent Events
Recently Dr. Byrd spoke about parasite management during the general meeting of the Lake County Mounted Posse, a horse club based in Lake County, Illinois. Music and slide show preceded the meeting. Dr. Byrd is available for speaking and consulting about equine parasites. Events provide an opportunity for Dr. Byrd and office manager/wife Becky Byrd to meet customers face-to-face, to answer questions, and to provide testing kits.
 Christmas Schedule
Horsemen's Laboratory will be closed Wednesday, December 21 through Wednesday, December 28. Samples received during this time will be refrigerated and results should be available shortly after December 28. Please plan on sending your samples accordingly.
We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and look forward to serving you in 2012.
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Contact Information
Telephone: 800-544-0599
E-mail: hlab@horsemenslab.com
Contact form at Horsemen's Laboratory.com |
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