By Dr. Kenton Morgan, managing veterinarian, Equine Technical Services, Zoetis  For horse owners in parasite-prone areas of the country such as the Southeast, their deworming program could be teetering on the fence of responsibly controlling parasite burden or unintentionally contributing to parasite resistance. Within temperate environmental conditions that are key for parasite survival, horse owners may… Read more »

Ginger & Herz 2011 The staff and owners of Horsemen’s Laboratory are like all other businesses we love our loyal clients.  This is a short story about just one of our many loyal clients and her horse Herz.  Ginger Krantz sent Horsemen’s Laboratory Herz’s first fecal sample on May 5, 1993 for a fecal egg… Read more »

Horsemen’s Laboratory has donated $1,000.00 to American Association of Equine Practitioners to support their relief efforts in helping horsemen and women affected by Hurricane Harvey.  Horsemen’s Laboratory has also committed to donating $1.00 from the sale of every kit sold in the month of September to this relief effort.  Order kits today and help us raise… Read more »

Recently Horsemen’s Laboratory was asked what other practices an owner can use to control worms in addition to deworming, especially for the worms that cause summer sores (Habronema). Since Habronema larvae are spread by stable flies and house flies, the best practice to help control them is to control the fly population in your horses’ environment. … Read more »

Large strongyle larvae penetrate the large intestinal wall and migrate through different abdominal organs.  There are 4 species of large strongyles, Strongyles vulgaris, Strongylus edntatus, Strongylus equinus, and Triodontophorus.  Until around 1980 Strongylus vulgaris was the most harmful worm in horses.  The larvae migrated through the abdominal organs and into the main artery that supplies… Read more »

Small strongyles have several names. One is scientific Cyathostomins. Another is non-migrating due to the fact unlike migrating or large strongyles that the larvae migrate through several abdominal organs. Small strongyles only burrow into the mucosal lining of the large intestine and become encysted there normally for 2-3 weeks, but may remain encysted and viable for… Read more »

By John Byrd, DVM Problem #6:  Death Please be sure to read the last paragraph of this article. Deaths in horses have occurred in the past due to worms and may continue to occur, but at a much reduced rate.  The introduction of Ivermectin as a deworming medication has been a large factor in the decreased death rate… Read more »

By John Byrd, DVM Problem #5:  Tail Rubbing The characteristic tail rubbing associated with worms is generally due to pinworms.  The female pinworm partially exteriorizes itself and lays her eggs around the rectal ring.  The eggs stick to the skin with a substance similar to egg whites.  This substance causes an itchy sensation causing the horse to… Read more »

By John Byrd, DVM Problem #4:  Ulcers Bots, Draschia megastoma and Habronema musccae are 3 classes of worms that can be responsible for ulcers in the stomach.  Bot worms are the larval stage in the cycle of a Bot fly.  They look like a small honeybee and they fly around horses’ legs, gluing eggs to the hair… Read more »

By John Byrd, DVM Problem #3:  Chronic cough, Runny nose Round worms can also be responsible for coughs and runny noses in young horses most often under one year of age, but may even occur in horses slightly older.  One stage of the life cycle of the roundworm is larval migration to and through the lungs.  During… Read more »