Check your wormer is working

Now that the warmer weather is with us, we would encourage our clients to start submitting manure samples from your horses to us for to check for parasitic worms.

We recommend that Faecal Worm Egg Count (FWEC) checks – the best way to test the number worms that your horse may have – are done every 10-12 weeks over the summer months, aiming for at least three tests between March and October. 

Based on current evidence, we have increased our recommended threshold – the point at which we administer wormers – from 250 to 400 eggs per gram (EPG), This change helps to decrease the development of resistance to wormers but should not increase the risk of clinical disease. 

We also now recommend doing at least one Faecal Worm Egg Count Reduction Test (FWECRT) at least once per year, to check for resistant worms. This is done about two weeks after the wormer is given, to check that it has been effective.

For more information about controlling parasitic worms in your horses, please contact the practice on 0131 650 6253

We have developed a guide to equine worming here