Weighing your horse before deworming helps ensure anthelmintic effectiveness and reduces the risk of parasite resistance. | Photo: iStock

Avoid the weight-guessing game when it’s time to deworm your horse. While a weight tape might seem simple, it could be the most valuable tool in your tack box when deworming your horse.

“It’s important for horse owners to understand that deworming treatment doses are based on the weight of the individual horse,” said Kenton Morgan, DVM, managing equine technical services veterinarian with Zoetis. “Eyeballing a horse’s weight is risky, as both under- and overdosing can contribute to resistance and safety issues. Using a weight tape or scale eliminates the guessing game and ensures an accurate dose for your horse.”

Deworming too frequently can cause parasites to be overexposed to certain active ingredients, which can cause them to become resistant. This results in fewer effective treatment options. Considering that 90% of equine internal parasites like small strongyles, tapeworms, pinworms, roundworms, bloodworms, and threadworms come from the environment horses are exposed to every day, an effective deworming program is critical