Does the aisle full of dewormers at your local feed store have you playing a game of eeny, meeny, miny, moe to select what to give your horses? We consulted the on-staff Veterinary Expert at Bimeda and are excited to share 5 tips on deworming!

1. ALWAYS consult your own personal veterinarian. Your veterinarian knows your personal horses, knows the area you live in and knows what schedule your horses are on. They are going to be your best resource for you when looking for the type of dewormer to use as well as when to use it.
2. For preventative care, drag or clean your fields. Many types of eggs and developing larvae live in the little balls of manure. When you drag your fields and break up the manure it helps get rid of a large number of eggs and larvae, thus preventing them from being ingested by your horses.
3. Use a dewormer with apple flavoring. Most dewormers smell like chemicals, which many horses find offensive. For example, Bimeda carries apple flavored dewormers!
4. Choose a broad spectrum dewormer that fights against a wide range of parasites, that way you are hitting as many of them as you can at once. Especially small strongyles and tapeworms.
5. Knowing your horse’s weight is actually really important for deworming. Using the improper dose for your horse’s weight is one potential cause for resistance in parasites. If the parasites survive the deworming treatment, then they pass on the ability to survive to their offspring. Weight estimation tapes are available and easy to use.