Survey: Some Owners Treat Encysted Small Redworms Improperly

A survey showed that one in five British horse owners claiming to have treated for encysted small redworms (or strongyles) used a dewormer not indicated to treat these potentially lethal parasites.
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This year’s annual National Equine Health Survey, conducted in the United Kingdom in May, has revealed that one in five British horse owners who claimed to have treated for encysted small redworm (ESRW, known as small strongyles or bloodworms in the United States) used a dewormer that was not indicated to treat these potentially lethal encysted parasites. This practice could leave horses at serious risk.

Encysted small redworms are one of the most common and harmful worms found in horses. They are the larval stages of the small redworm that have buried into the lining of the gut where they can lie dormant for some time. They pose a potentially fatal health risk but won’t show up in a standard fecal egg count. Untreated, encysted small redworm could develop and emerge en masse from the gut wall in the early spring, causing diarrhea and colic with a mortality rate of up to 50%

“The veterinary recommendation is that all horses should receive a treatment for ESRW during the late autumn or winter, regardless of their fecal worm egg count,” said Wendy Talbot, BVSc, CertEM (Int Med), Dipl. ECEIM, MRCVS, Zoetis U.K.'s national equine veterinary manager. “It’s crucial to remember that even if your horse’s fecal worm egg count is negative you must still treat for encysted small redworm before the early spring, to protect your horse from this deadly parasite.”

In the United States, moxidectin and larvicidal doses of fenbendazole are often recommended to treat encysted small strongyles. Consult your veterinarian to determine which treatment is best suited for your horse

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