Worming - advice and prices
NOTE PRICES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE NOW OUT OF DATE
Latest Prices: www.horsevet.co.nz/prices/
Hi All!
It's that time of the year to be thinking about worming again..
Everyone that owns horses knows the importance of worming to keep their pride and joy in the best of health but it can be difficult to know which wormer is right for you. I recommend a combination of FECs (Faecal Egg Counts) and appropriate target worming. What may be right for a few horses on a large farm may not suit intensive grazing, so please feel free to contact me for some recommendations for your own scenario.
Generally, at this time of the year, we want to use a wormer that targets both tapeworm and also covers encysted cyathostomes (small strongyles). The only products that cover both of these in a single dose contain Moxidectin and Praziquantel and the only trade names we know in NZ are Equest plus Tape and Ultramox.
You can also get cover for encysted cyathostomes by giving a 5 day course of fenbendazole (Panacur) but this is not always convenient for horse owners (and it doesn't treat tapeworms). It is however often the safest course of action to take if the horse being wormed is severely underweight or debilitated.
In my travels, I have come to realise that it is not always clear that changing the colour or trade name of the wormer packet necessarily means that the active ingredient changes. There seems to be an awful lot of wormers relying on ivermectin out there! Not that there is anything wrong with using ivermectin in the right cases but it is important to not over use it, especially as it's invariably the cheapest wormer..
Wairarapa Equine also do in house faecal egg counts. These are really good for monitoring the need for worming over summer and winter – you may not in fact need to worm again till the autumn! They are not able to detect tapeworm or encysted cyathostomes and they need to be interpreted with the individual owner's management system in mind.
I have spent some time trying to source the most reasonably priced wormers based on their active ingredient, not their trade name or advertising budget, and have supplied a list of my prices below (correct for 2012, prices subject to change).
Moxidectin and Praziquantel:
Equest plus Tape - $29.95 each = $25.45+GST (sufficient to treat up to 575kg horse)
Ultramox multidose 250ml - $225 each = $195.65+GST (cost per 500kg horse approx $19.50 +GST, approx ten 500kg horse doses)
Ultramox multidose 1l - $798 each = $678.30+GST (cost per 500kg horse approx $16.95 + GST, approx forty 500kg horse doses)
Fenbendazole:
Panacur 1l - $89 each= $75.65 + GST (40ml per 500kg dose so 200ml per 5 day course. Hence 1l is enough for 5 horses at approx $15.13 + GST per horse. )
Ivermectin:
Noromectin - $11.30 each = $9.83 +GST (sufficient to treat up to 700kg horse).
or $10.70 each (9.30 + GST) for 10+ doses ordered at the same time
Faecal Egg Counts – Includes interpretation and recommendations for future worming.
$15 each ($12.75 + GST), $14 each for 3 -9 done at same time ($11.90 + GST) or $12.50 each for 10 or more done at same time ($10.65 + GST)
If you are wanting to order any, please let me know numbers of which wormer, your name, address and email address. I will then send you an invoice, which will include postage depending on size of the package needed. When that is paid, I will send them out to you. Alternatively, you can skip the postage and collect them from Carterton, or I can bring them to you if a visit is needed to your horse.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like any further information.
Regards
Louisa Gleeson BVSc GPCert (EqP)
Published Tuesday 11th of September 2012