References
Control of endoparasites in adult horses
Abstract
There are many factors that contribute to the clinical relevance of endoparasites in adult horses and much research has been undertaken into the factors that cause disease in susceptible equine populations. Many control strategies (for example faecal egg counts) and anthelmintic treatment programmes have been recommended in order to limit the clinical effects of these intestinal parasites; however due to the lack of clinical signs seen in horses most owners have relied on the routine prophylactic use of anthelmintics, and as a result anthelmintic resistance has become a growing concern. Veterinary nurses can play an important role in the continuing education of horse owners by providing advice on such topics as pasture management, targeted dosing and faecal egg counts.
Control of intestinal parasites (worms) in horses is fundamental to their health and welfare. In the past worm burdens were commonly associated with the occurrence of colic (Proudman and Matthews, 2000) and thus the use of routine prophylactic anthelmintics (wormers) was encouraged in an attempt to prevent a worm burden and the risk of colic. However, parasite control is a complex process as most burdens are not caused by a single parasite, but more often, co-infected with many different species (Nielsen, 2012). In the majority of cases, unless a horse has a significant worm burden, the signs are often of a subclinical nature (Nielsen et al, 2010). One of the major obstacles with regards to provision of advice is that horses are kept under a variety of conditions and in most cases advice is based on an individual horse rather than the population of horses within an area. Livery yards present probably the greatest risk with regards to the ever changing population of horses, due to high stocking densities, mixed and changing populations of horses and an environment where individual horse owners have less control over parasite control programmes due to livery yard policy (Chapman, 2013).
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