# Zimectrin Gold



## StacyRz (Dec 15, 2011)

Hey all!

I was wondering if this dewormer is safe for pregnant mares? It's praziquantel and ivermectin. I don't know for certain if my mare is in foal or not, I'm leaning toward she is not, but just in case, I don't want to dose her with it if it's not safe.

Thanks in Advance!


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## Jill (Dec 15, 2011)

Per my own vet when I asked, yes... but that's not a substitute for getting your own vet's opinion. It's been a long time since I asked ours.


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## AnnaC (Dec 15, 2011)

Some while ago there was some 'worries' about Z. Gold if I remember correctly. I personally would not use it when there are so many other possibilities on offer (Never use Quest/Equest either) This time of year you need to make sure your wormer covers bots so a straight ivermectin will be fine. Tapeworms should be covered by worming in September (although I think you can do 'tapes' in March if you wish).


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 15, 2011)

I cant tell you the safety about it in pregnant mares, but personally, I wont use Zimectrin Gold, I use Equimax. It the past, many people have had issues with zimectrin gold causing swelling of the mouth and tongue, along with other side effects. So far Equimax hasn't had those complaints.


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## StacyRz (Dec 15, 2011)

I appreciate all of the advice. I will go with the Equimax


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## MindyLee (Dec 15, 2011)

So speeking of Quest!

Almost everyone will say that it is unsafe for minis and could kill them, correct?

I took a equine class for work about wormers this fall and learned that...

*FALSE!* Quest is not unsafe for minis and wont kill them if used correctly. Most folks over dose their horses big or small when worming them which most times is fine. It dose not hurt them to do so, BUT with Quest, you *MUST* give them the correct amount because it is such a strong wormer that if too much will only then it could potentialy be harmful if not deadly to your mini or even a big horse. Most times folks dont read the directions and just give a 1/2 of tube to their minis making a tube to do 2 at a time if not 3. Well with the Quest, most time horse owners do the same thing and later realize their horse becomes sick or even dies, all because they did'nt read the directions and thought wormer is wormer no matter what. And i would guess that if ya asked one of those horse owners if the read the directions 1st, they would lie and say yes. And with sickness/deaths caused by Quest and the rumors flying about it, most mini horse owners will not use it because of that and share what they heard to the next mini horse owner.

My point taken, I am a mini horse owner and even tho I had learn these facts, I still wont use Quest just because I heard this rumor and dont want to take any chances. And I know A LOT of mini horse customers who come in the store and buy this product with no issues.

Just something I learned and wanted to share.


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## Carolyn R (Dec 15, 2011)

MindyLee said:


> So speeking of Quest!
> 
> Almost everyone will say that it is unsafe for minis and could kill them, correct?
> 
> ...


I think that this has always been the general thought. The margin of error is very small compared to other wormers, it is just easier to steer clear of it altogether, especially when it is difficult to get an accurate weight using the convenience of a weight tape.


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 15, 2011)

Mindylee, not to contradict you, but when I contacted Pfizer directly, I was told that they do NOT recommend the use of quest or quest plus in miniature horses, and there is actually small print on the box that extreme caution should be used if you decide to use it on miniatures.


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## Jill (Dec 16, 2011)

Carolyn R said:


> I think that this has always been the general thought. The margin of error is very small compared to other wormers, it is just easier to steer clear of it altogether, especially when it is difficult to get an accurate weight using the convenience of a weight tape.


Exactly. With so many good products on the market, I will never use Quest on my horses (not even my big one) and I hope others will not use it on their small equines, either. We have had some tragedies reported here over the years.


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## Matt73 (Dec 16, 2011)

I don't use Zimectrin Gold/Eqvalan Gold on my pregnant mare(s). If it says "not tested on pregnant mares" etc. then I don't use it. The only thing I use on pregnant mares is fenbendazole or ivermectin.

"_ZIMECTERIN® GOLD Paste has not been tested in foals younger than two months of age, mares at or near the time of breeding, pregnant or lactating mares_"


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## MindyLee (Dec 16, 2011)

mydaddysjag said:


> Mindylee, not to contradict you, but when I contacted Pfizer directly, I was told that they do NOT recommend the use of quest or quest plus in miniature horses, and there is actually small print on the box that extreme caution should be used if you decide to use it on miniatures.



Oh I dont doubt it LOL.

I just was told this at a class that was given by a person from the company who makes and sells this product. I even questioned it with her and she insisted that it is very safe if used correctly. I told her I still would'nt use it personally because of the rumors and wont recomend it altho she says its safe. She just kinda gave up on trying to convince me that I should give it a try because its a good product, which Im sure it is, but after spending thousands upon thousands of $$$ on my horses, I dont feel confertable giving it to them just to kill them to prove her wrong. I love my horses and play it safe with a safer wormer.

I by no means am telling anyone here to use it, just figured I would share what I was told in a equine class that was provided by work. But yes, I agree! if I wont use it, I wont talk other horse owners into using it, big or small.

When I go to work today, Im going to read the box just for the fun of it since I never had.

GOOD TOPIC! And helpful to who is not aware of wormers!

I personally use...

Safe Choice

Zimectrin Gold

EquiMax

Panacure

Horse Health


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## Reble (Dec 16, 2011)

MindyLee said:


> When I go to work today, Im going to read the box just for the fun of it since I never had.
> 
> GOOD TOPIC! And helpful to who is not aware of wormers!
> 
> ...


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## rabbitsfizz (Dec 16, 2011)

Moxidectin 101:

Moxidectin works by being absorbed through the fat in the horses body.

Even if you give the exact right amount for the weight of the horse, if the body fat is not correct too much chemical can be released into the digestive system causing trouble and, in at least one proven case, death.

There is no noticeable advantage to using Moxidectin, it is not better than Ivermectin, it only (allegedly) lasts 13 weeks. BUT if your horse does not have enough body fat to sustain the chemical for 13 weeks, even if it does not harm at all, it will be released before the 13 week window is up and your horse will be consistently under wormed.

Moxidectin kills 87% of encysted small strongyles whereas a five day course of Fenbendazole kills 99%.

The only reason that some duo wormers are not guaranteed safe for pregnant mares is that whilst the individual constituents have been tested, the two together have not and it is expensive to test them.


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## StacyRz (Dec 17, 2011)

I was very happy to see all this info! I didn't know there was so much to consider in a "simple" de-worming LOL

For years I had assumed that Ivomec was what would be _un_safe in a pregnant animal. Per our old vet, my husband had given one of our pregnant hunting dogs ivomectin as a dewormer, and a week before she was due, she aborted all 5 pups and they were all _severely_ deformed. I always assumed it was because of the ivomectin


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## Matt73 (Dec 17, 2011)

StacyRz said:


> I was very happy to see all this info! I didn't know there was so much to consider in a "simple" de-worming LOL
> 
> For years I had assumed that Ivomec was what would be _un_safe in a pregnant animal. Per our old vet, my husband had given one of our pregnant hunting dogs ivomectin as a dewormer, and a week before she was due, she aborted all 5 pups and they were all _severely_ deformed. I always assumed it was because of the ivomectin


Ivermectin is safe to give to pregnant dogs as per this schedule



: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1303&aid=856


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## StacyRz (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks Matt!





It was probably just a coincidence and there was something else wrong with the dam. We spayed her after that anyway


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## chandab (Dec 18, 2011)

StacyRz said:


> I was very happy to see all this info! I didn't know there was so much to consider in a "simple" de-worming LOL
> 
> For years I had assumed that Ivomec was what would be _un_safe in a pregnant animal. Per our old vet, my husband had given one of our pregnant hunting dogs ivomectin as a dewormer, and a week before she was due, she aborted all 5 pups and they were all _severely_ deformed. I always assumed it was because of the ivomectin


I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding or not, but... "Ivomec" is a brand of cattle dewormer with ivermectin as active ingredient (the ivermectin is a 1% injectible solution in most of the formulas; there is also a pour-on formula). Ivermectin is also the active ingredient in some brands of heartworm control for dogs and cats. Some herding breeds of dogs do not tolerate ivermectin dewormer well, so consult your vet before using.

[i'm not sure the active ingredient, but we just treated all our pregnant cows for lice (pour-on insecticide).]


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## StacyRz (Dec 19, 2011)

Chanda,

It was ivermectin.



Not Ivomec, sorry for that. We would give ivermectin straight to our adult hog hunting dogs, with our vets approval of couse 

He had actually suggested it as an all around wormer and heartworm preventative for our adults. It was a very small dosage but it has been so long since I have used it that I don't remember exactly what the dose was.

I had told him about the abortion and got her an oxytocin shot, but he never really did more than speculate on whether or not the ivermectin caused it.

A few years back he did suggest we use Z-gold on all our dogs and even puppies, when one year we had a litter of pups that were severely infested with worms....and even though I had wormed them (with pyrantel) at weeks 2,3,4 and 6, _and_ keep their puppy pen clean, _and_ kept the mom dog dewormed, still came back with positive fecal results at their 8 week check up.





Oh yeah! I had also used ivermectin on my old rescue doberman who had come to me with the worst case of demodectic mange I had ever seen! I had to give it to her orally for (I think) about 2 weeks.


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## chandab (Dec 19, 2011)

StacyRz said:


> Chanda,
> 
> It was ivermectin.
> 
> ...


I just wanted to be sure, as I know someone who before there was ivermectin products readily available for horses, she used the cattle injectible on her horse (not sure, but she may have dosed orally rather than injecting), and she darn near lost her horse, took weeks for the mare to recover (vet figured it was probably the carrier in the cattle product, but the mare could not have any ivermectin product after that). So, just wanted to be sure of what was used, so someone wasn't willy-nilly dosing their dog or horse with product (without at least consulting a vet first). [My dog was dosed by a vet with cattle ivermectin for parasite, suspected mange, but I'd sure not do it myself.]


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## StacyRz (Dec 20, 2011)

I hear ya! My rescue doberman had a skin scraping done and complete blood count done and her dosage was very specific to treat the mange. We had follow-up visits to the vet every week for 4 weeks then a final visit at 8 weeks. She cleared up beautifully and all her hair grew back within a few months



She was on death's doorstep when I got her so I had to follow my vet's advice precisely.

I was really surprised when my vet (not the same as for my dobie, that was in a different state) recommended the horse wormer for the dogs lol.

And I hope that anyone reading this does not take my comments as advice because I am not, and would never, ever suggest giving horse wormer to dogs to anyone without talking to their vet first!!


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## Lil Timber Buck (Sep 27, 2012)

Okay, so for my little stallion that is a year and a half old now...all he has had is SafeGuard because I thought that was all you could use on minis that were under a year. What all is safe for him now. I would like to change it up to prevent immunity.....THANKS!!


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## rubyviewminis (Sep 27, 2012)

I used Safeguard for the first foal worming at 4 weeks (if memory serves me right) and Ivermectin monthly there after until I year old. Then use a regular schedule of every 8 weeks as for an adult mini. Rabbitsfizz can give you a schedule that is very good. I use it. What is important is targeting the parasites at the right time of year (for where you live, it can vary) with the correct drug ie. wormer.

Let me repeat, target the type of parasites at the correct time of year for you, with the correct drug. Safeguard is not effective on most of the parasites horses pick up.

Let me edit, you can do a search and a thousand threads will come up. Read what you want but Rabbits schedule is the best and most effective at the right times in my opinion. I am getting ready to double dose for five days with Safeguard in a couple of weeks for this area. And my vet told me to avoid Zimecterin Gold about 8 years ago for our Quarter Horses so we use Equimax and also avoid Quest.


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## AnnaC (Sep 27, 2012)

As you have only had him on safeguard you will have missed worming him for many of the worms that a horse carries (as mentioned above), so I would advise doing a fecal test before you worm him again. You certainly need an Ivermectin wormer in December for bots (Christmas) plus in March and/or September to 'catch' possible tapeworms.

As has been said above, please avoid Quest and I wouldn't use Zimectin Gold either.


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## wingnut (Sep 27, 2012)

My vet still has me using a rotational program for worming. So I would check with your vet for what should done for your specific setup and area of the country. Now that I'm back down to 4 horses and I just saw a notice that our feed mill does fecal counts for $19 per horse, I'll be doing fecal counts soon and talking my vet about the results.


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## Lil Timber Buck (Sep 27, 2012)

Perfect. Thanks everyone. This is good to know. We do rotations on the big horses, but I wasn't sure what is safe for the minis. Now I know...no Zimectrin Gold or Quest. Other than that rotate and repeat




THANKS


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## Marty (Sep 27, 2012)

I quit using the zimectrin gold this year. Just too many reports of averse reactions to it. Not occasionally, seems like all the time. I'm not looking for problems so no more for us.

Just de-wormed with zimectrin on the 1st. Boy, do we ever have bots lately too! ugh

I also use strongid and panacur


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## mydaddysjag (Sep 28, 2012)

Bots have been BAD here too. My horses went from nothing to a bunch of bott eggs on them, it seemed like overnight. As soon as they started fuzzing up for winter, BAM bot eggs.


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## Kim~Crayonboxminiatures (Sep 28, 2012)

The only concern I have heard with using any of the dewormers with praziquantel in it for tapeworms (either Zimectrin Gold or Equimax), is occasionally a horse is allergic to praziquantel and if pregnant the allergic reaction could cause loss of pregnancy. If your mare has been dewormed with praziquantel in the past with no problems, then it is okay to use when pregnant. It's only the first time that there is a risk for allergic reaction.


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## Lil Timber Buck (Sep 28, 2012)

Yes we are overloaded with bots too in TN!


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## AnnaC (Sep 28, 2012)

I have used Equimax for years with no problem - I think it is the higher percentage of praziquantel in the Zimectrin Gold that lead to adverse effects (sores and ulceration of mouths, throats etc in the worse cases).

What do you recommend/use for tapeworms Kim? Do you prefer the double dose method that some wormers work that way for tapes?


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## Kim~Crayonboxminiatures (Sep 28, 2012)

For pregnant mares that I didn't know could have praziquantel safely I did the double dose of pyrantel pamoate (I think that's the right one), been a few years now since I had to use it. I typically use Zimectrin Gold when I know they've had it before without problems, I've not had any problems with it. I haven't tried Equimax, but might try it this year. I only deworm once a year for tapeworms as recommended by my vet for this area.


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## Ashley (Sep 29, 2012)

I have always used Z Gold in the fall, even on preggo mares. Have had many healthy foals in the spring over the years.


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## Ashley (Sep 29, 2012)

and I only deworm twice a year, dont rotate dewormers. One for the spring, and one for the fall to cover the bots otherwise its the same each year.


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