Emerald has a high worm count

[dalesnfellfan]

just as I am really getting going with her it looks like she'll have to have a week or two off.  She has always had a low count for the last 18mts and was last wormed this time last year with 5 day Panacur for encysted red worm which she had a reaction to, so I was really hoping for another low count and after discussing with my vet a few weeks ago when they had their vaccines I wasn't going to do her this year if she had another low count.  I took a poo sample in on Wed and her count is very high so I'm now waiting for my vet to ring me with his recommendation, but I think he will advise panacur again plus a prebiotic to try and protect the gut.

I am very nervous about worming her again, now her gut is much better she may tolerate better, but I'm nervous that it may upset the balance in her gut again and put back to square one.

I'm not totally surprised as Connie has had a high count each time since I've had her and so although I have kept on top of her worming and I poo pick twice a day, the chances are she will have been shedding some eggs onto the paddocks especially for about 6 weeks now I've had to give up poo picking as I it is just too muddy to push the barrow across the fields.

I'll just have to give her enough time off, I'm not risking riding her too soon after worming. 

[colmworthdales]

That is a great shame, Andrea. I do hope she does not react badly again this time with the wormers. I wonder if there is anything else you can use which is less liable to upset her system. Good luck.

[zeldalithgow]

I've heard of people using diamaticous earth for parasites, I think Debbie used/uses it

[dalesnfellfan]

Jan 8, 2016 18:07:51 GMT -1 zeldalithgow said:

I've heard of people using diamaticous earth for parasites, I think Debbie used/uses it

Yes I've heard of this as well but haven't been able to get any reliable information about dosage etc. I have them both on a monthly herbal wormer which would appear to have worked up until now for Emerald, will look into it further.

I was reluctant to put Connie and Em in together last summer as Connie has always had a high count (always wormed) since I had her, Em had had a separate  paddock since she broke her splint bone, but it seemed such a shame to keep them apart as they get on so well and I had been poo picking twice a day until the mud made it impossible to push the barrow.

I am still waiting for a call from my vet but apparently the count is very high so I'm sure he is going to advise worming

[nedales]

Had the same here--two ponies with very high counts who had been borderline in spring AND both had diamateceous earth ten day doses in summer. Everyone else was okay. We did worm them with Moxidectin which they tolerated very well and retested a month later at zero.

I always do Omeprezole with the wormer as well as a good probiotic.

[dalesnfellfan]

On the advice of my vet she was wormed nearly 2 weeks ago with Noromectin and had Protexin for 3 days also. The paddocks had dried up sufficiently after a week of frost for a short in had session last Wed after a weeks rest and as she was so calm I got on her for 5 min, she was very forward but good. 2 days later I rode her again in walk only for 10 min and again she was full of it but a good girl.

Today my friend came and rode Connie and we went for a hack around the village, she set off down the road very excited and on her toes and I thought we might be in trouble as she was very hyper, however she settled after about 1/4 mile and was mostly calm although it didn't seem to take very much to wind her up again. We had tractors, diggers, cars with rattley trailers and workmen dragging cables about to contend with, fortunately we were able to get in gateways for the large vehicles as she did have a shy at them. Although not as calm as she has been she didn't do anything nasty, we'll try again on Saturday.

I am in a bit of a dilemma about riding her, I want to keep her going so I can hopefully find someone to ride her, but I don't really enjoy the uncertainty of not knowing how she will react to things (nothing nasty just greeness).

Part of me just wants to leave her in the field and just enjoy riding Connie who I trust, but I know I have more chance of finding someone to ride her if she is going well and the only way to do that is to get her out and get her confident again. I can only have my friend or her daughter to ride Connie about twice a week and neither want to ride Emerald and although I have had her out a couple of times on her own. I'm really not happy doing this at the moment, fields too wet to ride on again so can't school either.