Worming

Oh this topic keeps coming back every few weeks / months.

There are so many different types of worms that can infest a horses' insides. From lung worm to tape worm to any other kind of worm you can imagine.

I have been using  equest pramox so far and never had any troubles with worms. However, this year I am slightly behind due to all the other things that have been taking place.

'Mr F' has been slightly off lately. Somewhat sullen, not much interested in what is going on. Quite often standing at the back of his stable and remaining there when I arrive. I am not entirely sure if it is his hip injury playing up or if there is something else going on.

Whatever it is, the discomfort seems to be in his back end. It could be anything at this rate, abscess, old hip injury, minor arthritis in lumbar section, or perhaps he's been charging around with the boys and overdone it. Or perhaps he slipped on the wet ground when getting up after rolling (which his something he's always enjoyed doing a lot).

The barefoot trimmer had just been and she hadn't noticed anything when pressure testing 'Mr f's hooves. 

I don't want to resort to giving bute at any sign of discomfort. It may cover up what is really going on. 'Suzie' let me have a spare lot of sachets but I have not used any of it for months.

Perhaps he has a worm burden? There are more horses here than at 'Buttercup Farm'. And there are the foals, which will first have to build up their immune system. The pastures are well managed here, but we don't all poo pick, especially not in winter. 

I had spoken to 'Jackie' prior and explained that I am about to worm 'Mr F'. It is important that we worm the boys at the same time. 

Then there is also the matter of 'Mr F's reaction to the mild sedation he had a week ago when he suffered a mild colic, most likely due to the intestines 'slowing down'.

Since I had 'Mr F' he has had mild sedatives twice, once to clean his sheath in 2016 and then again to ultrasound the healing progress of his double hip fracture. In neither of those cases did he show an averse reaction.

So it seems odd that this time he did react. I had discussed it with 'Suzie' (our equine Vet) at the time but she was unable to say what exactly triggered his reaction.

In either case, it had been a week since the sedation and it was time to give 'Mr f' the wormer. Needless to say, I am always very wary of giving 'Mr F' any kind of medication. 

'Mr F' trustingly let me shove the syringe into his mouth, but you could tell that he had enough of seeing syringes, having had to give him medication for weeks when he was recovering. It is his trust in me that I always find so hard to digest as within this lies a huge responsibility. He will always be innocent, willing, trusting that I might to the 'right' thing.

And so the boys have been wormed. 'Jackie' suggested that we should all agree on a common worming plan and stick to it. It would make sense seeing as we are rotating the pastures.