AQHA MAGAZINE May / June 2020 AQHA May-June YB 2020 WEB LR | Page 64

PG.62
HORSE HEALTH
wormCONTROL
walls, fence posts, bedding, soil and the hair coat or udder
of a mare - and not be washed away by hosing. Infections
can involve hundreds of worms – up to litre or more. As
they travel through the liver and lungs before setting up
home in the intestine, symptoms of infection include
poor growth, weight loss, ill thrift, dull coat, diarrhoea,
colic and respiratory symptoms - fever, coughing, a
nasal discharge and worsening of lung infections. Gut
movements are reduced and impactions and rupture of
the intestine are not rare in horses with roundworms.
It is really important to discuss the timing and
choice of wormer with your veterinarian who may
recommend a FEC. Risks increase when stocking rates
are high, the same paddocks are used season after
season or soil and bedding become contaminated.
SMALL STRONGYLES
A more widespread, ever-present and persistent problem
is the small redworm (cyathostomes or small strongyles).
Mainly a problem in horses under 5yo, cyathostomes can
cause rapid or chronic weight loss, anaemia and ventral
oedema (fluid swelling under the belly) due to bleeding
in the gut, ill-thrift and diarrhoea due to haemorrhagic
inflammation, ulceration and nodule formation of the
intestinal wall. The nodules are caused by hibernating
larvae. A feature that is important for the control and
management of small red worms is their
ability to hibernate for years in the wall of the
intestine, creating a reservoir of infection.
There they wait, stock-piled, until the
resident intestinal adults have vacated the
gut – making way for the next generation.
The synchronised en-masse emergence
from the nodules and subsequent breaking
out into the intestine of 1000s of worms
can provoke severe symptoms that mimic
salmonella and colitis and these should
be ruled out by your vet. Although a FEC
can confirm infection with egg-producing
adults, it cannot detect the presence of
hibernating worms. However, knowledge
of the life-cycle offers good opportunities
to manage and control cyathostomes.
Cyathostome eggs hatch within 2 days
in summer and 2 weeks in winter –
making picking up the manure every
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