This message is from: Lori Albrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I was talking to my vet about this > just the other day...he told me one of his other breeders told him (and > swears by it) that they worm the mare within a day of birthing...and the > foals NEVER get scours ???
In the "Complete Book of Foaling" by Karen Hayes DVM, she cites research at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital in 1988 which revealed that treatment of mares withing twelve hours of parturition with oral ivermectin can prevent the development of certain intestinal parasites in their foals. She goes on to say that subsequent studeies have upheld the report, indicating that the ivermectin treatment essentially provided foals with an opportunity for a lifetime free of infestation by the parasite "Strongyloides westeri". According to the study, the timing of the treatment is crucial. Treatment later than twelve hours after birth, as well as the use any deworming product other than ivermectin will not yield the reported results. The author goes on to say that since ivermectin is approved for use in pregnant mares and in very young foals, and since the implications of the report are so important, it seems foolhardy not to follow the recommendations of the study. Accordingly, I have always dewormed all our mares immediately postpartum with ivermectin. Now, for how this relates to foal scours. I was talking to Vivian C. a while back and she mentioned that someone on her equine repro list had mentioned this fact which Aimee brought up, about how deworming the mare with ivermectin immediately postpartum will also prevent foal scours. Since I've done this now with six foals I can report on our results. Three of the six foals have never scoured, and the other three did. The ones that never scoured (and what a treat that is!) were the ones that I was present for the whole birth and there were no complicating factors, like delays in nursing, so for those foals presumably I administered the ivermectin sooner than the ones where I missed the birth by an hour or so (never more). I usually give the ivermectin after we get the details of navel, enema, afterbirth, and nursing taken care of. Since research has shown that peak absorption of colostrum occurs at about 3 hours, I'm guessing that perhaps that holds true for the ivermectin absorption as well and the benefits are increased if you can give it to the mare before 3 hours postpartum. Anyhow, that's the result of my informal study. Lori
