VETS ARE WARNING that unless more horse owners and yard managers change their approach to parasite control, horses will be at a higher risk of dying from the wormrelated conditions that are currently treatable. New research into how horses are dewormed has uncovered worrying statistics about anthelmintic (dewormer) resistance and the danger this poses to equines in the future, especially younger horses.
Worms are becoming resistant to the effects of dewormers, just like bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics (page 72). Resistance has been demonstrated in all the deworming drugs that are currently available and no new products are being developed to replace them.
Resistance means that the dewormer doesn’t kill the worms as expected. One of the most significant causes of resistance is the overuse of dewormers, and many dewormers are given when they aren’t needed.
Owners are being urged to move to a risk-assessment approach and carry out regular testing, including faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) and tapeworm saliva tests. Based on test results and the quick risk assessment of a horse, herd and management factors, a horse may not need a dewormer at all if he is at a low risk of a worm-related disease.
Resistance is real
Resistance among many of the key worm types, including small redworms and tapeworms, is now documented all over the world and in
