Liver flukes and horses/ponies

[Debbie]

Yesterday I was chatting with one of our neighbors and she mentioned she'd phoned in about a year or so ago about a cow elk that had separated from the herd and was wandering up by their property behind us. The cow expired before the Conservation people could get there, but they did an autopsy that revealed the cow died of liver flukes (I don't know if it was an old cow, or in prime health).

Now, we have a creek that runs through the back of our property and although Blossom and Dundee aren't near it, now I'm paranoid about liver flukes since I know slugs and snails and fish are intermediate hosts. How concerned should I be about liver flukes with the horses that were used for the riding string? How do you treat them?? Do the usual dewormers remove these or should I be talking to my vet about a different course of action?

*yes, I'm an overly paranoid horse and pony mummy

[jap]

in sheep you have to use a specific fluke control for any use.There is a fluke/wormer but its a different chemical and a lot weaker.The snail is the host so if they have access to running water then they may be at risk if fluke is in the area.You can find out by sending in poo samples.Pure fluke drench ,in Britain ,kills from 2 days old but there maybe eggs still to hatch so they need a second dose.Check to see if there eye membranes are pale, if they are pink they should be ok.

[DalesLady]

You're not overly paranoid Debbie, you are being cautious.
We live in an area rife with fluke and last year we had the wettest year for many many years and we lost around 25% of our sheep to it. Its dreadful. By the time the vets were issuing instructions about worming programmes and times between, it was already too late and many farmers around here suffered even though they were all worming for it as usual. It was an exceptionally bad year. This led to poor lambing numbers too, so double whammy!

Anyway, this time last year our vet actually advised us to worm the ponies for fluke and told us one specific large animal wormer which although wasn't licenced for horses, would be safe and so we did and followed it up 6 weeks later with a second dose. I think it was Fasimec 100, but my memory isn't great, so make sure you check with your vet if you want to use it. I'm sure our ponies will be fine this year as we have had a dry summer and they are now in.

Our vet said that the occurrence of fluke damage in horses is a lot less than in cattle or sheep, sheep being the most susceptible because they are close grazers, but that there are more incidences of a problem in equines than there have ever been and it could well be something to be very aware of in the future.

[Debbie]

Thank you both very much for your replies! I'll be keeping a close eye on mine and I'll certainly be discussing this potential with my vet. I'm not as concerned for Blossom and Dundee as their grazing is much further away from the creek, but the riding horses were used to going to the creek to drink. They may have easily picked up liver flukes causing a downturn in their baseline health, but not showing much else. Around here, it was very much 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. I'm surprised they ever even saw dewormers since they never saw the vet.

How gut wrenching for the sheep farmers. It's bad when something begins to affect your numbers, like a freak weather storm, but to lose the lambs atop that many sheep too, that's so hard to cope with and absorb the losses

[DalesLady]

You are right Debbie and its this time of the year, 8 months after lambing that we are feeling it hardest. Our farm income this year has been significantly hit, around 40% lower than it should have been and we are not the only ones. But we are farmers and its what we do, ups and downs and never a guaranteed income (or pension)

[Debbie]

I hear ya. My own families from both my parents were raised on farms and I remember both sets of grandparents working til they dropped in the traces. No pensions, and whatever they grew was what the family ate for the year. I'll never ever forget wandering into my grandmother's storage area and seeing shelves lined with mason jars.

Still, I've been self employed and a mushroom farmer for most of my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know Life is full of ups and downs with no guarantees, but I'm happy without the pensions and steady paychecks

[DalesLady]

We get our rewards in other ways don't we Debbie. I live with stunning views and I can keep my ponies at home and my children grew up with fresh air and more freedom than most

[Debbie]

Indeed, I work 24/7 and no sick days, but I have a flexible scheduale and work hard when I have to, but have the freedom to set my own hours so long as the critters are cared for. I have an amazing farm, a real gem on the Oregon coast now, and can walk out and see my pony and horses any time I want. As you say, I wouldn't have it any other way nothing's guaranteed in Life anyways and with my own parents and grandparents as role models, I think it made the choice easier for me. It's simply the lifestyle I know. Although I wasn't fond of the electric company calling me unemployed when I said I was self employed how rude!