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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Parasitol / A survey of helminth control practices in equine establishme...
Veterinary parasitology2002; 109(1-2); 101-110; doi: 10.1016/s0304-4017(02)00249-2

A survey of helminth control practices in equine establishments in Ireland.

Abstract: We report the results of a survey to assess the attitudes of horse owners and managers of equine businesses in Ireland to the control of helminth parasites, and the extent to which veterinary practitioners are involved in providing advice on parasite control of horses. Replies to our questionnaire indicated that there is a high level of awareness on the need for helminth control, typically leading to several doses of anthelmintic being administered to each animal every year. While a majority of respondents (61%) were concerned about the issue of anthelmintic resistance, only a few were of the opinion that it was a problem on their establishment. Measures to minimise the development of resistance, such as decreasing the frequency of dosing, optimising non-drug-based control strategies and assessing the need for dosing by faecal egg counts (FECs), were not widely employed in a strategic manner. Just over half (54%) of respondents indicated that they devised worming control programmes based on veterinary advice, and a large majority did not perceive any need for modification of their current worm control programmes. We concluded that there is considerable scope for increased veterinary involvement in the design and implementation of control programmes for helminths in horses, and that veterinarians do not always provide advice in accordance with "best practice" in helminth control.
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Publication Date: 2002-10-18 PubMed ID: 12383629DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(02)00249-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research paper discusses a survey on helminth control practices among horse owners and operators of equine establishments in Ireland. The study reveals that while there’s a strong awareness of the need for controlling these parasites, few owners employ sufficient measures to resist their development, which could be improved with more tailored advice from veterinary professionals.

Survey Overview and Findings

The researchers conducted a survey to evaluate attitudes towards helminth control, a crucial health issue in horses, from horse owners and business operators in Ireland. They focused on how these individuals approach helminth control and the degree of involvement of veterinarians in advising on this matter. Key findings from the survey included:

  • A high awareness level among respondents about the need for helminth control, often resulting in the regular administration of anthelmintic doses to horses yearly.
  • A majority (61%) of the respondents acknowledged concerns over anthelmintic resistance, but only a few believed it was a problem where their horses were housed.
  • Despite these concerns, strategies to limit resistance development, such as reducing dosing frequency, employing non-drug-based control techniques, and using faecal egg counts (FECs) to determine dosing necessity, were not strategically utilized.

Role of Veterinarians in Parasite Control

The survey also looked at the involvement of veterinary practitioners in shaping the strategies for controlling equine helminth. Findings in this aspect include:

  • 54% of respondents follow worming control strategies stemming from veterinary advice. Despite this, a significant majority did not see the need to revise their current worm control procedures.
  • This suggests a need for increased veterinary involvement in developing and implementing helminth control programs for horses. Educating horse owners on ‘best practices’ could help manage the problem better.

Conclusion

The paper concludes that a substantial scope exists for increased veterinary contribution in equine helminth control. This additional input could lead to strategies better designed to manage helminth resistance development and ultimately maintain better horse health. The study also indicates the need for improvement in the way veterinarians provide advice to align more closely with best practices in helminth control.

Cite This Article

APA
O'Meara B, Mulcahy G. (2002). A survey of helminth control practices in equine establishments in Ireland. Vet Parasitol, 109(1-2), 101-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-4017(02)00249-2

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 0304-4017
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 109
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 101-110

Researcher Affiliations

O'Meara, Bryan
  • Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Mulcahy, Grace

    MeSH Terms

    • Animal Husbandry
    • Animals
    • Anthelmintics / administration & dosage
    • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
    • Drug Administration Schedule / veterinary
    • Drug Resistance
    • Drug Utilization / statistics & numerical data
    • Feces / parasitology
    • Health Surveys
    • Helminthiasis, Animal / drug therapy
    • Helminthiasis, Animal / prevention & control
    • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
    • Horse Diseases / parasitology
    • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
    • Horses / parasitology
    • Ireland
    • Parasite Egg Count
    • Risk Factors
    • Surveys and Questionnaires

    Citations

    This article has been cited 16 times.
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