Foal Deworming Question

[Erickson Miniature Horses]

Is it safe for a 1 month old miniature foal to be dewormed with DuraMectin (ivermectin) Paste?

 

[Mona]

Yes, most definitely.

 

[Debby - LB]

I'll respectfully disagree. I would NOT give Ivermectin to a foal that age.

 

[Mona]

I'll respectfully disagree. I would NOT give Ivermectin to a foal that age.

Debbie, I have always dewormed young foals with ivermectin. Also, I googled this particular product before posting, and the product label stated it was safe for all ages as well as pregnant mares.

 

[amysue]

In my opinion..."safe" is a relative term. If the product label says it is safe for/ intended for use in foals then there probably will not be an adverse reaction (like putting flea prevention meant for 100#dog on a cat kind of terrible reaction), however in my experience, deworming a foal at that age is rarely necessary/beneficial. If momma horse is on a regular deworming schedule and was dewormed prior to or soon after foaling, then waiting until 60 to 90 days of age to worm the foal is best (according to my herd veterinarian). Now, this can differ slightly from region to region and every herd has it's unique culture. The reason being, foals are most at risk for thread worms and round worms, most of which cannot correctly be addressed until about 60 days of age, the risk of deworming too early or too often can create tolerance and resistance to ivermectin and fenbendazole to some harmful parasites. Many people over treat foals only to find them overloaded with parasites resistant to dewormer even though they have been deworming. Without running fecal egg counts or finding evidence of worms, it is difficult to know what to deworm for. I have heard of foals suffering from ivermectin toxicity from overdoses (while ivermectin is generally considered safe at uo to 20x the recommended dose, overuse can build up toxicity in young or old horses). Now, if momma horse has not been dewormed regularly, and there is evidence to suggest parasite burden (usually a problem in older foals) than treating with a slow kill drug, like bimectin, reduces the risk of impaction colic associated with heavy parasite load. As for threadworms, most horses become immune to them later in life (the exact age escapes me at the moment) but I do remember that treatment at around 60 or 90 days is crucial for those, but said to be relatively ineffective at one month or younger. So...I guess to answer your question in short...best to quickly consult with your vet to be on the safe side. A quick phone call should suffice. Be prepared to answer questions such as, dam's deworming regimine, foals age and body condition and your concerns/need for treating for worms now. Just my experience.

 

[Debby - LB]

^^^ what she said lol Thank you AmySue. I'm sorry I was not where I could post last night.

Thread worms and ascarids are foal concerns, and since ascarids have been found to be widely resistant to ivermectin this is not the drug of choice anyway,

The thing is the dewormer you use is not selective, so will potentially cause the worm you were Not treating to develop a resistance.

Also to note is that foals have a less-developed blood-brain barrier than adult horses, they are more susceptible to the toxic effects of ivermectin and moxidectin. Giving Ivermectin to a young foal you risk ivermectin toxicosis, Symptoms include unsteadiness (ataxia), depression, salivation, lethargy, blindness, and even coma. Pyrantel pamoate, and fenbendazole are much safer alternatives for deworming foals. Unless Veterinary circumstances warrant its use..there is no need to use Ivermectin before around 8 months.

Fenbendazole is one option that is safe to administer to young horses at all of its labeled doses. Benzimidazoles tend to result in a slow kill (for a lesser chance of impaction)

Oxibendazole and fenbendazole have been noted to have the highest efficacy against ascarids, and ivermectin has the highest efficacy against strongyle parasites which you'll start deworming for at a later date.

Moxidectin should NOT be given to miniature horses, foals less than 6 months old, pregnant mares, or ponies under 500 pounds at all.

I highly recommend fecal egg counts being done.

 

[Joann]

I thought I read on a previos post that I cant seem to find that u are suppose to worm foal at 30 days with safe guard. I was just trying to verify this before giving dewormer to my 5 week old filly. I will hold off till I call my vet.

 

[Debby - LB]

Safe Guard is safe to use yes. Talking to your Vet is your best bet in determining what age to begin since he/she should know your filly and her dams deworming history.

 

[Allure Ranch]

I agree with Debby and would recommend ONLY using Safeguard Wormer on a (1) month old foal. Several years back we had adverse reaction on (10) weanling foals after using Ivermectin Wormer. All of them experienced blindness and (1) passed away. The blindness passed after about week but it was touch and go. Therefore, I will NEVER use Ivermectin Wormer on any foal that is under (6) months of age.