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Veteran
Posts: 199
 
| I was recently "offered" an opinion by a friend of a friend, that when I de-worm my horses I should not feed them for the next scheduled feeding. I was told that by feeding them they would just pass the de-wormer faster and it wouldn't be doing its job.
Any thoughts on this? First time I've heard it. My thoughts are horses are grazing animals and shouldn't be withheld their forage. |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
 
Location: WI | Never heard that before. |
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Veteran
Posts: 199
| Neither have I. Just thought I would post and see if lots of people de-worm this way or just another "smile and say thanks" type of advice, lol. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 902
Location: Qld Australia | I have heard it, not sure if it's true. As for them being grazing animals, they don't get de-wormed in the wild so perhaps there may be some truth to this. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1150
Location: LaCygne, KS | Smile and carry on as you have (and I have) in the past. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 473
| I've heard this. . . I think it's hogwash.
Honestly, you can also look at it and say that there is NOTHING in the stomach so therefore the wormer gets absorbed even quicker.
Ugh. Just worm them. It's hard enough on their stomach, why bother making it harder by not giving them food.
ETA: It's like saying that their digestive tract shuts down when nothing is in it, this would make me wonder how horses get skinny if it stops working just because you don't have food in it.
Honestly, I like to worm AFTER they eat. Then I feel like it "sits" in the stomach while it's busy working on the food. LOL.
Until there are studies done, I'll just worm randomly. Midday, night, morning, with meal or after meal or with no meal. I never follow the same way. Just, when I feel like messing with them, they get it.
Edited by AfleetEquine 2013-11-27 12:13 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 199
| Glad Im not the only one that thinks this is a little odd :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Would be interesting to hear what the deworming product manufacturers say about this i.e. Pfizer, Merial, Intervet. |
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  Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | Maybe a google search is in order. I do know it's hard on a horse to have their stomach empty for very long...causes ulcers. I'm thinking no.  |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | I can not say now days with the wormers we have out now. I never let my horses go without food available. However, back in the day, we're talking like 40 years ago ( I know, I am old. lol) the wormers we had available to us did say to withhold feed. I'll also add though, this was before paste wormers even. We had top dress feed through wormers that good luck getting your horse to eat, and then tube worming via the vet. So I'm wondering if the person that told you this is prehistoric like me and remimbers those old school wormers. LOL |
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: Great NW | Just smile and walk away. The only time I with hold food is when they have been under Anesthesia and have not quite woke up yet. I will go back later and feed them when they have their wits about them or because of surgery and they are under vets orders. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | Hmmm. I will tie my horses up for a good half-hour before giving them their de-wormer, just so they don't have any grass lodged in the corner of their mouth that they can spit out (with their dewormer) when I give it. And then I'll try to keep their head up for a few minutes, again, so they don't lower their head and spit it out.
But I have never heard of withholding food to make it work better. |
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Veteran
Posts: 199
| ThreeCorners - 2013-11-27 3:25 PM
I can not say now days with the wormers we have out now. I never let my horses go without food available. However, back in the day, we're talking like 40 years ago ( I know, I am old. lol) the wormers we had available to us did say to withhold feed. I'll also add though, this was before paste wormers even. We had top dress feed through wormers that good luck getting your horse to eat, and then tube worming via the vet. So I'm wondering if the person that told you this is prehistoric like me and remimbers those old school wormers. LOL
Prehistoric? lol. No, this person is closer to my ago, so around 30? But who knows, maybe this is what they were raised to believe? |
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| Deworm them right before you feed your horses ... this creates saliva to send it all down to the tummy.... tummy goes to work .. wakes up worms .... activates blood circulation in tummy lining and worms get a strong dose of wormer and live happily ever after .... in a turd on the ground ...  |
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