A survey on parasite control in sport horses of Argentina and other regional countries.

The research article examines how horse owners and trainers in Argentina and nearby countries manage parasitic infections in sport horses. The findings indicate that there is generally a lack of structured parasitic management practices and depth of veterinary intervention for the same in the studied region, mostly depending on periodic administration of antiparasitic drugs.

Parasite Control Practices Survey

• The study collected information through a survey about typical anthelmintic approaches in sporting horses, which predominantly targeted veterinarians and horse facility managers. Of the 100 surveys sent out, 69 responses were received. The respondents mostly hailed from Thoroughbred studs, farms, and horse riding centers.

Antiparasitic Treatment Routines

• The survey found that a majority of respondents treated horses every three months. Other predominant practices included treatment every 6, 4, or 12 months or individual-based treatment when necessary. Only a small fraction of respondents chose not to treat their horses.
• Regarding the reasoning behind their treatment schedules, 41% of respondents based their decision on the time elapsed since the last treatment. Other prevalent reasons included seasonal timing, the age of the horse, and previous diagnoses. A small percentage did not have any specific rationale for the treatment timetable.

Anthelmintic Drug Rotation and Diagnostic Practice

• About half of the respondents mentioned that they did not rotate the type of anthelmintic drug used. In contrast, the rest rotated the drug used regularly within fixed intervals, wherein the most common interval was every 3 months.
• Most respondents administered treatment several times per year, with the majority opting for a quarterly treatment approach.
• Interestingly, 76% of respondents revealed that they did not conduct diagnoses prior to treatment, highlighting a significant gap in assessing anthelmintic efficacy. Only 20% performed any efficacy tests to determine the effectiveness of their chosen anthelmintic drug.

Conclusion

• The survey results suggest an inadequate level of professional veterinary planning in Argentina regarding the control of internal parasites in sport horses. It primarily relied on the administration of anthelmintic drugs at fixed times.
• The use of coprologic tests, instrumental in assessing the presence and type of parasitic infestations, was generally not commonplace in the region.