This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
That is the noise I make as I pull my hair out by the roots every time I hear someone mention that deworming medications are harmful or poisonous to the horse. For years I couldn't understand why someone would rather risk their horse to parasites then to give them an occasional dewormer. Don't these people realize that horses are living LONGER these days because of the advances in parasite control? If only they could see the damage that these parasites are causing as I have seen during colic surgery or a postmortem exam. Scarring of the intestines and liver, abdominal abscesses, blood clots in the vessels of the gut, not to mention malnutrition and unthriftyness. I couldn't understand what the fear of using these dewormers was. Then one day it dawned on me. It was the use of the word "chemical" when they referred to them. I think these people felt that the ingredient in the dewormers is like the harsh pesticides that a farmer might use on his crops or an exterminator might use for termites. This is not the case at all. Yes, many years ago harsh chemicals were used that many times made the horses sick (and sometimes the veterinarian), but these are no longer used today. Much safer ingredients are used in dewormers today. The ingredient in Strongid, Pyrantel, is used sometimes in children for the treatment of Pinworms. Ivermectin (Ivomec, Rotectin, etc.) is used in people in third world countries where parasitism is still a common problem in humans. So you see, these ingredients are not harsh at all. As for Strongid-C, the daily wormer, the amount of pyrantel in it is a fraction of that of Strongid-P, the paste dewormer. So, you are giving a small amount over a long period rather than a larger amount at one time. And actually, the Strongid-C is not a dewormer but rather a worm preventative. It doesn't kill the parasites already in the gut, but kills the parasites as they are ingested so they don't establish themselves in the intestines. That is why you must first deworm them with Ivermectin before starting them on the Strongid-C. As Gail mentioned, Pfizer (the makers of Strongid) is so sure of their product helping to prevent colic, that if you are on their program and your horse requires colic surgery, then they will pay for it. The program requires that you also keep up with other health care (vaccinations, etc.) and have a yearly physical exam from your veterinarian. This not only provides you with colic surgery insurance, but also helps build a good working relationship between your veterinarian, you, and your horse. I have used Strongid-C for many years on my own horses and have seen nothing but good results. I encourage everyone to get on an aggressive deworming program and stick with it! The damage that these little guys do far outweighs any risk of the dewormers themselves. I apologize for the length of this reply, but as you can tell, I am very passionate about this topic. Steve White, DVM Waterloo, Nebraska
