![]() ![]() The larvae then travel up the windpipe causing irritation and coughing, resulting in them being swallowed back into the small intestine. Larvae ingested by the horse reach the small intestine, travel to the liver and then on to the lungs, feeding at each stage. Large creamy white worms, up to 40cm in length. However, prevention through good management and monitoring is far better and safer than relying on treatment once infection has developed. It is therefore important that the population of horses are monitored with FWECs and pasture is well managed to make sure the levels of infection with redworm eggs is kept to a safe level.Īn estimate of exposure to small redworm can be made from a blood test and if necessary specific treatment can be administered to remove both adult and larval stages. Horses that are badly affected with an encysted burden may develop severe weight loss and potentially life-threatening diarrhoea. ![]() If redworms are not monitored and levels of infection become high, then horses may grow more slowly (young animals) or lose weight.Īt their immature (larval) phase, redworms become encysted (buried into the lining of the intestine) and cannot be identified on FWECs, as they don’t lay eggs at this stage. When levels of egg shedding get high, treatment of individual horses may be needed to limit contamination of pasture and prevent infection. Faecal Worm Egg Count (FWEC) should be used regularly to identify the number of eggs that are being produced by adult worms. The most common threat to horses, with more than 50 different species.Īll horses will have some small redworm and in small numbers they cause no problems.Up to 2.5cm long, thin and usually reddish in colour (the unfed worms appear white).Small Redworm (small roundworms, Cyathostomins)
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