Learned something about deworming

[EAMULE@aol.com]

This may be common knowledge to some, but I learned something from my vet. 

I bought a 16 y.o, very malnourished, pregnant mare with foal by her side the
first of July. (She soon aborted.) I had immediately dewormed her with
Ivermectin and again subsequent weeks later.  I took a fecal sample to be
checked to see if my deworming was doing any good.

No active parasites were found, but my vet strongly suggested that I give the
mare 2 tubes a day of fenbendazole (Panacur or Safe-Guard) for 5 consecutive
days.  I inwardly raised my eyebrows.

He explained that small strongyles will lodge in the colin and are
undetectable, except by biopsy.  Ivermectin will not take care of these. (I
have since read that Ivermectin is not good at getting these small
strongyles.)  This  5 day fenbendazole program will get 100%.  A  7 day
program of Ivermectin will supposedly get maybe 75%.

Dande, the mare, received her last two tubes this past Sunday.  By Wednesday
night the change in her was incredible.  She has been gaining steadily ever
since I bought her and starting to look like a fairly healthy horse, but
proportionately speaking in the 3 days after this deworming program she has
blossomed.  It could be that everything she has received in the previous 3
months came together, but I believe this program really put the icing in the
cake.

Of course, if one reads the instructions on the box containing anything the
contents of the box usually work better. :)  I had never read the fine print
instructions on a box of dewormer containing fenbendazole.  It recommends the
same thing as my vet.  

Everyone I have told this to had never heard of such strong dosing and were
surprised and a little concerned. (Nobody else reads the fine print either!)
Vet said that fenbendazole is not toxic until 25 times its recommended dose.  

I wonder how many small strongyles are lurking in my 23 y.o. mare who has been
regularly dewormed all her life.

Ellen and Dande who made it known she doesn't like to be paste wormed!
Memphis