# Worming a Ulcer Prone Horse?



## jenz87 (27 February 2012)

Hi everyone,
If you havent seen my previous posts. My horse was diagnosed with Grade 3 Ulcers about 3 weeks ago. She is now into her 2nd week of Gastrogard, two more weeks to go and then scope to check theyre healed. More than likely they will come back, apparently. Sigh.

She is due worming sometime in March, of course i will consult with the vet when she gets the all clear, but i was wondering what do the rest of you with ulcer prone horses do about worming. Do you just worm as normal? Do you take precautions or only use certain products?

Any advice will be greatfully received as this is something that is weighing on my mind. 

Thank you


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## maggiesmum (27 February 2012)

What are you worming for? Have you worm counted or blood tested? I'd never give a wormer (especially to horse with compromised digestion) without knowing it was necessary and I'd avoid any dual chemical wormers like the plague.


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## SpottedCat (27 February 2012)

I worm as normal. I had a long chat to my vet about it (horse had G4 ulcers) and he basically said that unless you collect an entire heap of dung, blend it, and take the sample from that, worm counting isn't really worth doing because eggs aggregate in the dung, so you get a lot of false negatives from worm counting. I use a reduced programme because field is poo-picked and herds rarely change, but aside from that, just use a chemical wormer as normal.


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## maggiesmum (27 February 2012)

SpottedCat said:



			I had a long chat to my vet about it (horse had G4 ulcers) and he basically said that unless you collect an entire heap of dung, blend it, and take the sample from that, worm counting isn't really worth doing because eggs aggregate in the dung,
		
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I do exactly that, the last time I wormed him he developed colic within a few hours and was very ill or the next 7 days at one point we though it was all over.
I know of a few horses who've reacted in a similar way to worming too so i'd never put chemicals into my horse just as a matter of course.


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## Borderreiver (27 February 2012)

Spottedcat, your vet is very unusual in that opinion as the majority of vets now use worm count based programmes for their clients. OK it is not an exact science but works out fine when tests are taken over time and horse history is taken into account. The BVA recommends worming this way, as do all the wormer manufacturers and parasitoligy experts these days.


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## YasandCrystal (27 February 2012)

Borderreiver said:



			Spottedcat, your vet is very unusual in that opinion as the majority of vets now use worm count based programmes for their clients. OK it is not an exact science but works out fine when tests are taken over time and horse history is taken into account. The BVA recommends worming this way, as do all the wormer manufacturers and parasitoligy experts these days.
		
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I agree with this. I understood that in order to combat worm resilience to the chemical wormers, testing was the way to go.
The worm test lab I use always ask the horse's age - whether it goes to shows, how long in my paddock. Has the herd changed?  When last wormed, they also ask about the field management regime etc. So pretty thorough and will happily discuss results with me.


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## Fruitcake (27 February 2012)

Reading this with interest.  I worm count and only worm when necessary (worm counts tend to come back negative as there are only two horses living together and grazing is alternated with cattle) but always do the tapeworm wormer in autumn and the dose for encysted worms in winter as they wouldn't show up on a count.  My horse was diagnosed with gastric ulcers last autumn and was due to be wormed for the winter encysted dose just after the GG finished.  I was unsure about doing it but my vet assured me he should be fine so I used Panacur 5 Day Guard (faffy I know but in my mind, must be gentler on the horse's system- not sure if my reasoning is correct here).  He'd been rescoped during the GG and ulcers had gone but, when he was rescoped three weeks after GG had finished (during which time he'd been wormed), the ulcers had returned even though his management is 'ulcer friendly'.  I half suspected the wormer may have triggered the return of the ulcers but thought it was just me being paranoid.  What is the general opinion on this?  Can wormers cause ulcers in an ulcer prone horse?


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## Goldenstar (27 February 2012)

I have always just wormed them as normal with no Ill effects.


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## maggiesmum (28 February 2012)

Fiona36 - it seems perfectly logical to me that putting chemicals into a compromised digestive system could cause problems. I think some horses will always react badly where others will never have a problem.


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