Clinic Clients Get to Grips with Worms
Horse owners in Suffolk have been getting to grips with worms – the type that cause real problems to horses and ponies alike.
An
evening seminar at Deben Valley Veterinary Surgery enabled them to
update knowledge, pick up the latest tips on worming and be among the
first horse owners in the country to learn how to fat score a pony or
horse – not to mention collecting a free weigh tape!
The 65
horse owners enjoyed a buffet and drink before learning what wormer to
use and when; then participated in discussions and raised more than
£200 for The Horse Trust.
They learned that worms can become
resistant to wormers – and this is speeded up by under-dosing for body
weight instead of using a weigh tape or weighbridge and failing to
rotate between the different types of wormers. As 99% of all worms are
on the pasture or in forage, poo-picking the pasture is vital. You can
check your paddock’s level of infection by taking worm egg counts,
easily performed at the clinic on a small dung sample. If the count is
low, it may even not be necessary to worm and Deben Valley vets prefer
to design worming programmes for individual horses or whole yards.
The
talk from equine nutritionist Dr Theresa Hollands, which highlighted
the link between excess weight and laminitis showed the real need to
fat score your horse or pony. It seems there is a real trend emerging
that horses and other pets are following the obesity crisis looming in
people.
Alpine Interactive