Selective Anthelmintic Treatment in Horses in Sweden Based on Coprological Analyses: Ten-Year Results

Abstract

In Sweden, routine deworming has been used for several decades; however, to slow down the development of anthelmintic resistance, selective treatment is currently recommended. As part of a monitoring programme, equestrian premises submitted faecal samples to the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) twice per year between 2008 and 2017. Analyses for strongyles (small and large), tapeworms and ascarids, followed by premise-specific advice regarding deworming and parasite control strategies, were provided. In total, 43,330 faecal samples, collected from 26,625 horses on 935 premises in springtime (March to June), were analysed by quantitative or semi-quantitative flotation. Moreover, Strongylus vulgaris was detected by larval culture or PCR. Between 4 and 11% of individual horses tested positive for S. vulgaris and 3-10% were shedding tapeworm eggs. There were recurrent high and low egg shedders; 75% of horses with S. vulgaris appeared to have been recently introduced into the herd; the proportion of S. vulgaris-positive premises increased when individual samples rather than pooled samples were used. Based on the results of S. vulgaris diagnostics and strongyle egg-shedding level, 59% of the horses did not need to be dewormed.

Keywords

parasite control; deworming; faecal sample; Strongylus vulgaris

Published in

Animals
2023, volume: 13, number: 17, article number: 2741
Publisher: MDPI

SLU Authors

• Grandi, Giulio

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • National Veterinary Institute SVA

Associated SLU-program

AMR: Parasite

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13172741

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/126364