INDIVIDUALIZED DEWORMING: HOW IT'S DONE.

After completing the below steps, you and your veterinarian will be equipped with the knowledge you need to design and introduce the most effective plan possible:

STEP 1: ESTABLISH BASELINE EGG COUNTS.

> Your veterinarian should perform a Fecal Egg Count (FEC) to determine your horse's parasite status. This will establish whether your current program is working properly.

> FECs should be evaluated annually. Horses with a higher risk of parasite exposure should have more frequent FECs.

STEP 2: MEASURE SHEDDING LEVELS

Your veterinarian will perform FECs on the rest of the herd (or 10% if your herd is very large) to determine the level of parasite shedding.

Assessing the shedding level of individuals within the herd identifies horses that pose the greatest risk of exposing others to parasite infection and provides information needed to form a tailored strategy.

Less than 200 eggs per gram may indicate low risk, while greater than 500 eggs per gram may indicate a horse is at a higher risk of spreading infection.

STEP 3: KNOW YOUR VARIABLES.

Risk evaluation is integral to successful deworming strategies.

Before deworming, work with your veterinarian to analyze your horse's parasite exposure risks.

All horses carry unique risk factors that affect their vulnerability to parasites.

Answer the Individualized Deworming Questionnaire to discover your horse’s risk profile and create a customized deworming calendar.