Horse Wormers Protect Your Horse's Health

Submitted by SamBenson

Horses can become sick easily. One of the problems that constantly plagues them is parasitic worms. They’re usually found within the horse’s gut and intestinal area. While the mere presence of these worms won’t usually cause any damage, they can begin to infest the horse’s body. If a massive infestation occurs, a horse can experience severe bouts of pain and fever. Below, we’ll describe how worms enter a horse’s body. Plus, you’ll discover what horse worming is and how it helps maintain the horse’s health.

How Do Worms Get In The Horse?

Most horses have worms at some time during their life. Often, they infiltrate a horse’s system during grazing. Other times, a mother will pass the worms in her body to her foal while the foal nurses. Once worms are present in a horse’s gut, it will lay eggs. These eggs will usually pass through the horse when they defecate. The larvae hatch and find their way to the grass. A horse will graze in the area and ingest the worms. This cycle perpetuates itself. As a result, worms are common in horses.

How Does Horse Worming Work?

Most horse owners use a paste to deworm their horses. The paste is ingested orally and should be administered at least every 2 months (though doing so every 6 weeks is recommended). For foals who are still nursing, deworming should be done every 4 weeks. After foals are weaned, they should be dewormed every 6 weeks.

Deworming a horse doesn’t kill the worms. If the worms die while still within the horse’s gut, it’s possible that they’ll release materials with a high level of toxicity. The toxic materials can have a severe impact on the horse’s health. Instead, when a horse ingests the deworming solution, the chemicals contained within paralyze the worms. Once paralyzed, the horse can pass the worms through its system when it defecates. After they have been excreted, the worms usually die.

Preventing Infestations

Remember, worms are common in horses. It’s only when a massive infestation occur that the horse’s health is in jeopardy. That’s why it’s important to deworm a horse every 6 weeks. It prevents an infestation. In the end, being a diligent horse owner means taking action constantly to ensure the health of your horse.