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Post by harveydales on Mar 5, 2012 6:01:44 GMT -1
Yesterday while poo-picking Ali spotted a large roundworm in a fresh Dolly poo.  We poo-pick religiously every day and have done so for the last 20 years. The only exception was the last 3 months when Dolly, Frankie and Lily were in the top hay field which is far too big to go over daily. The plan is to harrow it now they have gone and we will get a hay crop off it this summer. I have regular poo samples sent for worm counts and they have always come back with no eggs seen for all my ponies. I do worm annually for tape worm and also once a year with something like Equest to cover any encysted red worm and bots which might not show up in worm counts. So we are surprised and shocked to by this discovery. It definitely is a roundworm - Ali took a pic and she says it was a fresh poo and the worm was wriggling.  I will talk to my vet about it today but wondered what you lot thought about this. It looks like I can't rely on worm counts and yet we are being advised to worm less and only if worm count results indicate it is necessary.  I should add worm counts were done at the end of last November and all came back clear. All ponies were wormed with Equest at the end of January which should cover roundworm and no resistance is known to this wormer. |
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Post by SuzieP on Mar 5, 2012 6:46:52 GMT -1
Oh how revolting!
Doesn't "no eggs" mean that the count is so low as to be negligible? And the count can only be made on the sample sent in - I suppose there's a chance that if the count is very low the sample might not have had any eggs in it. I don't think there's ever a time when a horse is completely clear of worms, but there is a tipping point where the worm burden becomes a threat to the horse and we worm/test to make sure we don't come anywhere near that tipping point.
I'd say that a conversation with the vet is the right course of action. If the worm was big enough for Ali to spot, then I guess there's a chance it has had the chance to drop eggs.
When did you last have a count done?
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Post by harveydales on Mar 5, 2012 6:51:53 GMT -1
When did you last have a count done? Sorry, have just added that info to my original post.  It just seems to me a bit dubious that a tiny poo sample can give a full account of the worm status. I'm hoping some experts will reply here. |
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Post by valerie n scout on Mar 5, 2012 8:44:24 GMT -1
ohhh wriggling !!!!! we poo pick too tho not every day, will look forward to see what the others say X
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Post by zeldalithgow on Mar 5, 2012 15:25:57 GMT -1
Worming is a minefield!
I've never had a worm count done always mean to but as I don't bring them into stables it means following them until the do the deed lol, I've never seen any thing in the poo, we poo pick daily and don't worm as often as recommended (with vets approval) as at the mo the ponies are a closed herd and we cross graze with sheep
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Post by harveydales on Mar 5, 2012 15:46:11 GMT -1
I talked to the vet this morning, not the chief vet though as he was out. The vet was very suprised as there is no known resistance to the chemical in Equest and the wormer should be active in the horse for 12 weeks. You might expect to see worms in droppings for a week or so after worming - dead ones killed by the wormer - but not at this many weeks. I was told not to worm again as it is too soon but to do another worm count and then decide what to do.
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Post by Tynedale on Mar 5, 2012 17:21:17 GMT -1
Are you sure it wasn't pin worms?
They don't check for that unless you ask and then it's a sellotape sample you send in.
Westgate labs are very good, not sure who you use but they will give you free advice and possibly confirm or not from the photo you took.
Maybe a 5 day course of panacur equine guard next time??
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Post by harveydales on Mar 5, 2012 20:08:52 GMT -1
Are you sure it wasn't pin worms? They don't check for that unless you ask and then it's a sellotape sample you send in. Westgate labs are very good, not sure who you use but they will give you free advice and possibly confirm or not from the photo you took. Maybe a 5 day course of panacur equine guard next time?? It's Westgate I normally use. Definately a roundworm as far too big for a pinworm. |
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Post by Biggerside Benwell on Mar 8, 2012 20:12:18 GMT -1
Hello Pam, sorry it took me so long to reply. How old is Dolly? Did you say you have a picture of the worm? How big was it?
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Post by harveydales on Mar 9, 2012 5:14:40 GMT -1
Kristy, Dolly is 15. Ali took the pic on her mobile phone so I can't put it on here myself. I will try and sort something at the weekend. From her descrition and the pic, it was white, cylindrical (ie not flat and segmented like a tape worm), about 4" long, pointy ends. In my panic I got my vet to do another worm count on all 4 and results were no eggs seen again in any of them. |
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Post by The Moo on Mar 9, 2012 8:46:00 GMT -1
I do the worm count thing as well and always come back with a zero count yet have seen little tubey looking beasties in the poo occaisonally, approx 3mm in lnegth and 1mm dia, I've never managed to identify them from equine worm pictures.
The lab people said this was probably beetle larvae which seems reasonable as I do get lovely big shiny beetles coming from the ground into the poo, my puzzle is if the poo is only there for 24hrs, how do they hatch and grow so quick? Maybe warm poo is the perfect incubator.
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Post by harveydales on Mar 9, 2012 8:47:56 GMT -1
We get those beetles too but no other beasties. Could yours be bot larvae?
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Post by The Moo on Mar 9, 2012 10:08:27 GMT -1
mmm having googled for more pics, the beasties don't look quite like the pics and I have never seen bot eggs on the ponies... but mmm next time I see one I'll try and take a pic. And if they were bot larvae wouldn't the worm count show them up? I generally have to take a poo sample as it comes out of the pony as they live out and identifying which poo has been left by which pony can be tricky. mmm bit concerned now BTW when searching for a pic I got a pop saying 'searching for bot larvae? click on Clickcompare for the best price..'  |
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Post by Tynedale on Mar 9, 2012 12:02:46 GMT -1
I have just read that the female pinworms are small but the males can reach 4 inches long
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Post by harveydales on Mar 9, 2012 13:38:58 GMT -1
mmm having googled for more pics, the beasties don't look quite like the pics and I have never seen bot eggs on the ponies... but mmm next time I see one I'll try and take a pic. And if they were bot larvae wouldn't the worm count show them up? I generally have to take a poo sample as it comes out of the pony as they live out and identifying which poo has been left by which pony can be tricky. mmm bit concerned now BTW when searching for a pic I got a pop saying 'searching for bot larvae? click on Clickcompare for the best price..' No, as far as I know bot larvea don't show up in worm counts unless your pony has a very heavy infestation. Never seen one but I think they are fatter than what you saw. |
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