Question: Is it necessary to get rid of all the parasites on my farm?
Answer: As illogical as it may sound, no. While old-school thinking and the resulting treatment plans called for the complete elimination of the parasite population, research has resulted in a new way of thinking. You should actually roll out the welcome mat to the right population of parasites that are susceptible to dewormers. It’s called “refugia.” When the susceptible worms interbreed with resistant parasites, you help reduce the development of resistance.1,2,3
While trying to achieve a zero egg count and having virtually no parasites in your horse or on your farm might seem like both an achievable and desirable goal, it can be detrimental to horses and nearly impossible to attain.1 Because only about 20 to 30 percent of the horses in a herd shed about 80 percent of the farm’s worm eggs, identifying those horses and treating them accordingly is far more efficient.1,4,5 With this new strategy, the low shedders (likely about 60 to 80 percent of the horses) may only need a deworming treatment in spring and fall.1
However, if you’re implementing this type of selective deworming plan, it’s more important than ever that you first work with your veterinarian to make sure that you’re using products that are still effective on your farm. If the parasites on your farm are resistant to the product that you’ve used, this approach will still leave you with nothing but more resistant parasites on your property.
The bottom line is that modern deworming goals should be to manage worm burdens to keep them below detrimental levels by using the right product based on the individual horse’s shedding levels.
More information about effective deworming strategies and the Merial dewormers
ZIMECTERIN® (ivermectin) and ZIMECTERIN® GOLD (ivermectin/praziquantel) can be found at www.zimecterin.com.
Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, is a member of the Merial Veterinary Service team. He has expertise in performance horse medicine, is a board-certified surgeon and has teaching experience at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He has practiced in Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia and Illinois. Dr. Cheramie earned his doctor of veterinary medicine from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine.
About ZIMECTERIN GOLD
ZIMECTERIN Gold combines ivermectin, a leading ingredient that controls a wide variety of parasites, with praziquantel, an ingredient that specifically controls tapeworms. Together, they provide excellent equine parasite control. ZIMECTERIN Gold is approved to control more species and stages of equine parasites than any other brand, including benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles.2 It controls 47 species and stages of equine parasites in all.6,7
Plus, ZIMECTERIN Gold was the first dewormer approved by the FDA to effectively control tapeworms* with a single dose.7 Tapeworms have been recognized as a significant threat to the health of horses.8
About Merial
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,600 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2010 sales were more than $2.6 billion. Merial is a Sanofi company.
For more information, please see www.merial.com.
Important Safety Information
Warning: Not for use in humans. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children. In horses, there have been rare reports of swelling and irritation of the mouth, lips, and tongue following administration of ZIMECTERIN Gold. These reactions have been transitory in nature. Do not use in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result.
*Anoplocephala perfoliata
1 Kaplan RM. These ain’t your father’s parasites: Dewormer Resistance and New Strategies for parasite Control in Horses. Proceedings 2009 Florida Equine Institute. 2009. Gainesville, Fla.
2 Reinemeyer CR. Rational approaches to equine parasite control. Equine Parasite Control Kentucky Equine Research, Inc. 64-72.
3 van Wyk JA, Hoste H, Kaplan RM, Besier RB. Targeted selective treatment for worm management – how do we sell rational programs to farmers? Vet Parasitol. 2006;139(4):336-346.
4 Kaplan RM, Nielsen MK. An evidence-based approach to equine parasite control: It ain’t the 60s anymore. Equine Vet Education. 2010;22(6):306-316.
5 Brazik EL, et al. Pyrantel pamoate resistance in horses receiving daily administration of pyrantel tartrate. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;228:101-103.
6 Based on data provided in the FDA Freedom of Information summaries.
7 Based on data provided on the ZIMECTERIN Gold label.
8 Proudman CJ, Trees AJ. Tapeworms as a cause of intestinal disease in horses. Parasitol Today. 1999;15(4:156-159.
®ZIMECTERIN is a registered trademark of Merial Limited. ©2011 Merial Limited, Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. EQUIZIM1124 (06/11)