11 April 2023 | Product and Promotions Guide
Periodic fecal egg counts provide a
snapshot on the magnitude of egg
shedding of individual horses. If the
number is low (less than 200-250 eggs
per gram), that particular horse can
be considered to have good natural
immunity to strongyles and may not
need to be dewormed as frequently
2
.
However, if the number is higher, that
horse may be a chronic shedder that
may not show signs of parasitism but
is carrying a heavy burden of adult
worms that are producing lots of eggs,
which are then dispersed back into the
environment.
Chronic shedders may require a more
aggressive deworming program
than other horses. Horses sharing a
pasture should be on a coordinated
treatment program and schedule to
avoid reinfection. If possible, group high
shedders together to avoid overtreating
low-shedding pasture mates.
Fecal egg counts are recommended for
adult horses prior to spring deworming
to assess the current status of each
horse. This timing is ideal as egg
shedding fluctuates seasonally and will
be lowest during the winter months and
increase as days lengthen into spring.
For moderate and high shedders,
also recommend a follow-up test
10-14 days after completing the
recommended deworming protocol.
For routine monitoring, retest in the fall
(at least two months following most
recent treatment), before adding a new
horse to a pasture group, and anytime
a horse displays signs of potential
parasitic disease, such as decreasing
body condition or poor hair coat.
Note that horses less than 3 years of
age require different monitoring and
treatment protocols as they are more
susceptible to parasite infection and are
at greater risk for developing disease.
To gain visibility on your clients'
deworming protocols, recommend
they purchase their anthelmintic
products through your Covetrus
®
online pharmacy storefront. To assist
in keeping track of testing intervals,
results, and recommendations, consider
using Covetrus software solutions such
as Pulse
™
or Rapport
®
to manage your
client communication and scheduling.
Ask your account manager which
solution would be right for your
practice.
1. AAEP Internal Parasite Control Guidelines. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Revised 2019.
https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/Internal_Parasite_Guidelines.pdf. Accessed online February 13, 2023.
2. Manure Matters. Dr. Lydia Gray. https://www.smartpakequine.com/learn-health/equine-fecal-egg-count.
Accessed online February 13, 2023.
According to the AAEP Internal Parasite
Control Guidelines
1
, modern equine parasite
control programs have three goals:
To minimize the risk of disease caused by parasites.
To control the shedding of parasite eggs.
To maintain the efficacy of current drugs and help to avoid
further development of anthelmintic resistance.
