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Thursday 13 January 2011

Worming donkeys

There is a limited range of worming products available for worming donkeys on the UK market. Here is a list of those products currently licensed for donkey treatment and available from http://www.wormers-direct.co.uk

Brand Name ----------------Package Declaration
Panacur Equine Guard ------Horses and other Equines
Panacur Equine Granules ---Donkeys and Horses
Panacur Equine Paste -------Horses and Other Equines
Telmin Paste ----------------Donkeys and Horses
Telmin Granules ------------Donkeys and Horses
Eqvalan ---------------------Donkeys and Horses
Strongid P Granules ---------Donkeys and Horses
Strongid P Paste ------------Donkeys and Horses
Pyratape P -----------------Horses and Other Equines


As in the case of treating horses you must be competent to do so before administering animal medicines such as wormers to donkeys. The products selected for use should chosen on the same grounds as you would do so for other equines which means taking in all the factors involved and developing a worming strategy suitable to the environment and pertaining circumstances. Although the range of licensed products for donkeys is more limited than for the horse there is still a range which will enable you to plan over a longer period with out over reliance on any one chemical group whilst remembering that there are products in the above list that have different brand names but are in fact the same active ingredients and certain products will treat for a broader spectrum of parasites when used at higher doses. Here at www.wormers-direct.co.uk we are on hand to help in fine tuning or organising any such plan.


LUNGWORMS (Dictyocaulus arnfieldi)
Lungworms are white in colour and are between 6 and 10 cm in length. The lifecycle of lungworms is different to other nematodes as adults settle in the lungs rather than the intestine. Eggs are laid then travel up the trachea, are swallowed and passed out in the faeces. Further development then takes place on the pasture, infective larvae are swallowed by horses or donkeys to further develop into egg laying adults.

It has been remarked that a large percentage of donkeys carry lungworms some research claiming levels as low as 4%, some almost 100%. These are obviously dependent on circumstances where the data was gathered but general thinking seems to be that the actual figure is more like 50%. Donkeys often show no clinical signs of infestation and it is in donkeys where the parasite reaches full maturity. Donkeys do not always develop the symptomatic cough that is seen in horses but if horses are grazed along side donkeys then particular care must be taken to treat for lungworms accordingly with particular attention to foals as they can sustain permanent lung damage if infected

Eqvalan is the product of choice for lungworm treatment in donkeys although Telmin can also be used for this purpose if used at the higher dose of 15-20mg daily over 5 consecutive days but not within the first 4 months of pregnancy.


SH Wetherald E-SQP wormers-direct.co.uk Ltd