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  Discussion on Best routine for a wormy-looking yearling?
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 17, 2001 - 2:24 pm:

Dear Dr O

Recently (two months ago) a bottle-fed TB yearling was brought into our little herd. I asked his owner if he had been wormed and he said yes. Well, I think it must have been toothpaste he gave him.

The yearling has been on very good grass (the other two horses there are FAT including another yearling of similar age which definitely was wormed). This fella is still very ribby, pendulous belly etc. I wormed him with ivermectin (half a dose) last week but unlike most horses when wormed there's no apparent decrease in the pot belly after 4 days.

He is a very thoroughbreddy sort of thoroughbred but this doesn't seem right and one dose ivermectin doesn't look like it's done the trick.

How quickly can I give him another dose, or should I try the other stuff for tapeworms instead? He is not miserable, largely behaves normally, he is just thin with a big belly. Mind you, he also growing like stink and I would guess will make nearly 17hh eventually.

The good news is that, being bottle fed, he's easy to catch and worm!

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Imogen

Posted on Saturday, Jul 21, 2001 - 11:51 am:

imogen

I think that one problem is your administering only a half dose, i use a half dose on three or four month old foals not yearlings. I have found that i need to segregate my newcomers and worm them immediately(no matter what the owner says) with whatever is scheduled on my program. I check their manure for worms and it would be a good idea to take a fecal smalple and have it tested. It is inexpensive. I feed my yearlings the daily Strongid C and have found that they are the best conditioned group of yearlings yet even with our dry weather causing our pastures to be less lush. I also use Ivermectin or 10 cc of Ivomec per 100 weight every two months and one of the bendazoles as well in the year(sometimes double dose) I think that Dr. Os worming schedules in his articles are wonderful sources of info. Good Luck !!

Katherine

Posted on Sunday, Jul 22, 2001 - 11:41 am:

Imogen, you can repeat with a full dose, based on the weight, of ivermectin to the foal without danger at any time.

Katherine, you should not give half doses to your young foals, unless you expect there are a lot of worms. If anything they need larger doses than adults as it is not as effective in the very young though still very safe. For more information on these principles see the deworming article for details.
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 24, 2001 - 11:06 am:

Yes, I apologise for being unclear. When I said half dose I meant half a tube = 300kg dose which seems about right for a tallish yearling to me. (full size horse being 500 kg to 600 kg for you imperial people). I'll dose him again. Thanks, Dr O.

Posted on Friday, Aug 10, 2001 - 9:47 pm:

Imogene, I have the exact same problem with my almost 1 1/2 yr. old Arab colt. I purchased him at 11 mos. old. He was in a group of 4 guys - who kept him off his portion of twice per day grain. Immediately, I gave him HALF of his usual ration, but he got ALL of it. He had not been on lush grass before like here so I just supplemented his decreased grain with 'Grow Colt' and a natural herb (grape extract) that is palatable and effective in some studies to decrease respiratory problems (he breathes through his mouth while eating and a mucus discharge is obvious while he is drinking) and curtail parasites. This colt has blossomed! For worming, I religiously give an ivermectin every 6 weeks (based on measurement - and then I add about 200 pounds weight) Then, once every 6 months, I give a moxidectin to him. (My others get the same dewormers but on a longer timetable, and the mares in foal, etc. are treated differently.) But anyway, this has helped this colt turn from a pot-bellied out of shape youngster to looking like gold. I think the most important thing I have done with this colt is feeding him appropriately. By the way, 'Nutrition In The Horse' by David Ramey, DVM and Stephen Duren, PhD. is simple, easily understood feeding principles. And, Dr. O, it took me a long time to realize that underdosing ivermectin actually prolongs your headache.

Posted on Sunday, Aug 12, 2001 - 12:15 pm:

Well, I dosed him again with ivermectin. And then again a couple of weeks later with a double dose of strongid (pyrantel-based wormer). And I moved them all to a lusher field. The yearling is coming on but does not have enough condition for a winter out.

I feel happy that the worming issue is dealt with for the moment but I think he'll either have to go in to a stable next winter or be fed throughout (does not get any hard feed at present). His owner thinks he is windsucking but I see no evidence of this when I watch the herd in the field, although he is a loner.

Thanks for all the advice, Wendy, but I don't think his owner wants him fed grain unless it can be avoided, both for cost reasons and to avoid that joint thing they can get if they are overfed while growing fast which I've forgotten the name of. But you'll know the one I mean.

All the best

Imogen

Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2001 - 9:11 am:

Yes, giving FULL doses of ivermectin or any dewormer is the only way to go. But Wendy I am hurt, what principles of feeding could be simpler and clearer than those in, Care for Horses: Nutrition: Nutrition for the Horse, an Overview of Feeding Horses supplemented with the information in Feeding Young Horses?
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 28, 2001 - 10:48 am:

No, there is nothing more simpler and clearer!!
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