Forthcoming Events

Practice Evening - Wednesday 31st March 2010

We are holding a Practice evening on the above date at Newbury Rugby Club - 7 pm for a 7.20 pm start - the evening will include a talk on Worming and we will be discussing "Head Issues". This is usually a very informal and fun evening aimed at all ages. Further details to follow shortly.

Free Visit

If you have five or more horses to be seen on one visit there will be no visit charge. This offer applies to horses seen on one yard and also to horses seen within a two mile radius of each other when arranged on the same call. Please call the office to arrange a time suitable for all concerned.

To Worm or Not to Worm            

With the advent of new wormers on the market we have noticed some confusion with how and when to worm,. The following table is hopefully an easy to understand summary of the three regimes we recommend.

1. The Four times a year approach:

This has become probably the most popular regime of recent years and utilises two worming products EQUEST and EQUEST PRAMOX. There is a 13 week interval between each worming, one for each season.

Winter use EQUEST

for bots, encysted redworms (hibernating worms) and roundworms

Spring use EQUEST PRAMOX

for roundworms and importantly tapeworms at this time

Summer use EQUEST

aiming to eradicate roundworms at this time of year

Autumn use EQUEST PRAMOX

again tapeworm control and treatment of  small redworms starting to encyst (hibernate)

This approach is a good comprehensive approach for intensive situations i.e busy livery/competition yards where pastures are heavily populated, also can be used for general worming regime.

2. The Traditional Regime implementing strategic worming and interval worming:

This is the approach most veterinarians have traditionally encouraged and when properly implemented is an excellent method of worm control. 

February

EQUEST or PANACUR 5 day course - for encysted redworms (hibernating worms)

April/May

STRONGID P or PYRATAPE P or EQUIMAX- for tapeworms

June  

Through the summer months only one type & brand of wormer should be used.

July

The interval depending on the wormer. Each following year the wormer

August /September

Type used for this period should be changed (this is termed rotation)

October

STRONGID P (Double dose)  or PYRATAPE P or EQUIMAX - for tapeworms

Novermber

EQUEST or PANACUR 5 day guard or EQUEST PRAMOX (if EQUEST PRAMOX no need to  worm for tapeworms in October), this worming is to eradicate small encysted redworms  (hibernating red worms)

For example:                

Type 1 (2010)

(Ivermectin based) e.g EQVALAN or PANOMEC or FUREXEL or ERAQUELL or  NOROMECTIN  every 8 weeks

Type 2 (2011)

(Fenbendazole based) e.g PANACUR every 6 weeks                                                                                                                                  

Type 3 (2012)

Pyrantel based): e.g STRONGID P or  PYRATAPE P every 6 weeks

Again a good regime for all busy livery/competition yards where pastures are heavily utilised, also can be used for general worming regime.

3.    Targeted Strategic Worming Regime:

March

Faecal Worm Egg Count taken from every horse, those with levels over 200 eggs per gram are wormed

June

Faecal Worm Egg Count taken from every horse, those with levels over 200 eggs per gram are wormed

September   

Faecal Worm Egg Count taken from every horse, those with levels over 200 eggs per gram are wormed

October       

STRONGID P or PYRATAPE P or EQUIMAX for tapeworms (levels not detected on FWEC)

November   

EQUEST or PANACUR 5 day guard or EQUEST PRAMOX (if EQUEST PRAMOX no need to worm for tapeworms in October), this worming is to eradicate small encysted redworms (hibernating red worms).   Good regime for less intensive situations but hard to implement successfully in busy    yards with high numbers entering and leaving the yard and high numbers rotating through paddocks.

Continuing Professional Development

All of our vets attend regular courses in order to continue their professional development in the field of equine veterinary practice. Here are some that they have attended recently:-

Andrew McGonnell MVB, Cert EM (Stud Med) MRCVS

Racecourse Casualty Management Seminar

Diagnosis of Diseases of the Equine Head

ISLEP Conference - Back and Neck

Richard Gillatt BVSc MRCVS

Neck back and pelvis in the horse

Artificial Insemination Refresher Course

Equine Thoracic and Abdominal Ultrasonography

Advanced Dentistry Techniques

Racecourse Casualty Management

British Equine Veterinary Association Congress

Gudrun Wallis Mag.med.vet. MRCVS

Equine Tendon Scanning

Michael Harwood BVSc MRCVS

British Equine Veterinary Association Congress

Red Dot Radiography Course