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Questionnaire survey on helminth control practices in horse farms in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2019

Nagwa Elghryani Open the ORCID record for Nagwa Elghryani [Opens in a new window] ,
Vivienne Duggan ,
Valerie Relf  and
Theo de Waal
Nagwa Elghryani*
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Vivienne Duggan
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Valerie Relf
Affiliation:
SAC Consulting, Veterinary Services United Kingdom, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Theo de Waal
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
*
Author for correspondence: Nagwa Elghryani, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Knowledge regarding helminth control strategies and nematode infection of horses in Ireland is limited and only one study has been published recently. This present study was designed to investigate the current helminth control strategies followed by horse owners in Ireland. A questionnaire was formulated to collect data on general grazing, pasture management and deworming strategies including the use of fecal egg counts. Questionnaires were emailed to 700 members of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Horse Sport Ireland. Only 78 questionnaires were returned. Respondents indicated that horses are grazed for 16–24 h day−1 during the summer and autumn (89% and 65%, respectively). Removing feces from the pasture was implemented by 37.6% of respondents. Few (22.2%) owners kept horses off pasture after worming. Overall, ivermectin and moxidectin were the most commonly administered anthelmintics in 2014 by 75% and 62% of respondents, respectively. Benzimidazole and pyrantel drugs were used by 53% and 35% of respondents, respectively. The majority of farms (81.4%) treated horses 4–5 times per year and 74.2% only estimated the weight of the horses visually. The findings of this study illustrates that many stud managers/owners do not follow best practice with regard to helminth control and more education is needed.

Keywords

Anthelmintic treatmentgrazing managementhelminth controlhorseIrelandquestionnaire
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 146 , Issue 7 , June 2019 , pp. 873 - 882
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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