Until very recently, we used to deworm twice a year - early winter after freeze up, and again late winter just before breakup.

Our newish vet suggested fecal testing to get egg counts to make a determination. We ordered and used these tests:
Horse parasite test

If our three, 2 had zero egg counts, and one had 7. 7 is below treatment threshold. Horses are fat and happy, so we’ll test again in a year.



Disclaimer: no connection to the test company. Just passing on information to use as you will.

For quite a few years I have been worming quarterly. I had few fecal counts done and they always come back OK. I timed it so I gave them a dose right when they were starting to shed out and another right before hunting season. One mid summer because of all the flies and one the first of the year to take care of any Bots they picked up in the fall from the eggs on their legs.

I have never rotated wormers and fecal counts were always ok,. I use the generic Ivermecton that use to be about $2 /tube online.Then everyone heard it was a cure or covid and it's $12/tube. I usually bought a case of twelve and have about 4 left right now.
I am down to one mule now so I won't need to do that anymore.

With my llamas, I worm once a year, after the 1st major freeze. Liver flukes is the biggest issue with them. They're carried by snails in the ditch water. Once the ditch water is off and they're back to drinking from the tank, the snails are gone for the year. They won't be an issue until the next irrigating season.
The problem is that there are no dewormers listed for llamas. I have to use one for cattle and sheep. I used Ivermec Plus for years, with the Plus part being the fluke killer, but they dropped it a couple years ago. Now I use Valbazen which is a broad spectrum wormer. They haven't died and I haven't had any fluke problems so I guess it works.

This is about horses, not camels! 😎

Interesting critters them llamas. Supposed to be a helluva guard dog for sheep.

You didn’t specify horses. It might be about the homeless skank on your front lawn with the 7 wormy kids.

The homeless are by the park. 😁


I wonder if the equine worm count would work for other species or if it’s that specific.

My program is kinda like sadlesore has done. Buy cheap Ivermectin and use it , I do spring and after fall freeze. The only exception to that would be brood mares and babies, they get an extra dose before weaning.

Just my opinion, the animal in a closely grazed lot may need more attention, because they eat every blade of grass, and that is where the worm larvae get introduced. I generally have abundant grass and not much worm problem.

If I had a poor doer then the fecal test might help you find something. My freind had a mule that sweat really easily, They tracked down encysted stongiles in that case.

In 30 years I haven't seen them in my mules, most of them I have raised.

One consideration my vet talked about is creating dewormer-resistant parasites by using a worker when it isn’t really needed, hence the testing.

Analogous to changing engine oil at 3000 miles. Unnecessary, doing it that way because it’s always been done that way.

Eye opening, really.

We have been testing via fecal egg count for almost a decade and wormed according to the test results. However, I recently read an article that provided additional insight into that practice and I am now compelled to do more research.

https://www.uckele.com/articles/deworming-strategy

A while back we were watching a rerun of an old 'House' episode. They operated on a woman with strange symptoms and pulled out a 25 FOOT tapeworm. House said he was disappointed at the small size as the record was about 60'.

I have not seen dewormer parasite resistance with my protocal and I have been using generic ivermectin for close to 25 years. Probably more as I started when they stopped tubing for worms. I use to have fecal count done very two years. After ten years, not so much nothing ever showed up. Every once in awhile I slip in some Ivermectin Gold as it gets any tapeworms, although again I never saw any evidence of them.

Three different vets told me it isn't broke, so don't fix it.Maybe mules are more parasite resistant though.

Thanks for that link.

I haven’t seen it either, Vince. Our vet is recently semi-retired from a career of being a Tb breeding operations vet in KY. Always unique situations in different parts of the country. Our parasite season isn’t like warmer areas.

Yea, I have hauled some mules in from a Missouri sale a few years back and they were loaded with worms. It took three doses a month apart to get rid of them.

Animals are individuals too. Not to over complicate things because everything that has been said is correct. One thing I also know to be true is you can have a handful of horses in the same pasture. You can worm them the same at the same time. One will have as many worms itself as the other 4 combined. Some just get more than others. Oddly enough it may be the biggest slickest one too.

When I notice one that seems to have more I have been getting it up and doing the power pack where you worm with a double dose 5 days in a row. I get them up to watch the manure and to keep it off the pasture. Not sure if that makes any difference or not. Can’t hurt.

I know every time I think I have breeding raising training etc….figured out I encounter something else.

Mom gave each of us 1/3 cup of kerosene on the 1st of May each year.

^this^

The old boys used to give their horses a wad of Red Man a couple times a year.

My Uncle back when he was on the farm asked the vet about deworming his horse. The vets answer was "horses have worms".

My endurance horses get exactly what the vet recommends in all areas. $$$

True. They all do. The question is whether they're doing any damage. Many cases of worms are harmless and it's natural for an animal to have them. Sometimes worming them is just a feel good thing so the owner can think he's helping the horse. The trick is how to tell the difference. That's the vet's job.

I’ve seen a couple horses colic as they tried to shed a massive parasite load after deworming. That’s why I was so willing to dose them 2X per year.

I saved woods walkers article above to share with my vet.

That is for sure. I brought one mule home from the sale in MO and as I always did, wormed her before I put in with others. She almost died from the load of worms. It was a pile about as big as a cow pie.

Some of these horses and mules a person get that are calm and docile become whole lot more of a horse or mule after getting all the worms cleared up.A few more than you want