01/10/2024
*** STEP AWAY FROM THE EQUEST (at this time of year) ***
A repeat post, but people STILL don’t understand!
Just a little reminder that you should absolutely NOT be using Equest or Equest Pramox during the Spring, Summer and early Autumn months. It should be reserved for the main purpose of Moxidectin; targeting the ENCYSTED stages of Redworm. Redworm encyst into the gut wall when it is COLD.
The emergence of these encysted redworm as the temperatures warm up in March/April, can result in fatal cyathostominosis. We only have TWO drugs that can treat encysted redworm, and there is already widespread resistance to one of them (Fenbendazole), and rapidly developing resistance to the second one - MOXIDECTIN. It’s imperative that you DO NOT USE EQUEST or EQUEST PRAMOX during the warm months, unless specifically directed to do so by your vet.
Lots of people correctly use worm egg counts during the spring and summer months, but some are then very dangerously worming with Equest if they have high egg counts. This is both a waste of Moxidectin, and a danger, due to helping increase the resistance to this drug.
DO NOT WASTE MOXIDECTIN WHEN IT’S WARM! The whole point of the drug is that it treats ENCYSTED redworm. The redworm burrow into the gut wall to keep warm; it’s as simple as that to understand! They need eradicating AFTER they have burrowed, so AFTER it gets cold, and BEFORE it warms up in the Spring!
