Correct
dosing levels when worming your horse.
A
common mistake when worming horses is under dosing so ascertain the weight of
your horse as accurately as you can either by using a weight tape or even
better a weigh bridge. Correct dosing is important, if you under dose your
horse the product will not work efficiently and could lead to resistance.
If
you administer a sub therapeutic level of the drug and thereby expose the worms
to the drug, but perhaps not at a sufficient dosage to kill them. Worms that survive
treatment may pass on their “immunity” to subsequent generations and those
generations will become more adept at surviving chemical treatments with the
potential for resistance to develop to that drug.
There
are brands on the market that now that treat up to 700kg in a single syringe
and now some available in tablet form with each pack treating up to 800kg. These
larger syringes and tubes give that little bit extra to play with when dosing. Many
popular brands only treat up to 600kg of bodyweight so you may need to take
care when working out the doses required with many horses needing more than one
syringe.
When
you estimate the weight of your horse remember we all lie about our weight so
if in doubt, when estimating the weight err on the generous side. Although a
slight overdose of wormer is unlikely to have harmful effects, as with all
drugs, it is important to dose accurately and in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
SH
Wetherald
E-SQP
