Zoetis: Fall Deworming Helps Keep Your Morgan Horses Healthy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       

Media Contacts:

Kelly Charpentier - American Morgan Horse Association / Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®

602-309-1552 or kvcharpentier@gmail.com

Fall Deworming Helps Keep Your Morgan Horses Healthy

QUEST® PLUS Gel offers industry-leading control plus convenience (1,2,3,4) 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., December 1, 2021 — As you make preparations for winter and take your horse off pasture, remember to address preventive health needs with timely deworming. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Parasite Control Guidelines recommends that adult horses receive deworming treatments at the beginning and end of the grazing season for your geographic area, targeting key equine parasites. (1) 

Small strongyles are the primary parasite of concern for adult horses.(1) Small strongyle larvae (immature parasites) encyst (burrow) into your horse’s intestinal lining during their life cycle, and it’s when they emerge from the gut wall that is most concerning. “The emergence of these encysted larvae from the intestinal wall may cause harmful inflammation to your horse’s delicate digestive tract – something every veterinarian and horse owner wants to avoid,” explains Kenton Morgan, DVM, Zoetis equine technical service veterinarian.

When it comes to treating your horse against parasites, the decision to choose the right, effective dewormer can feel overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know about deworming your horse correctly. 

Watch the video "How do I Deworm My Adult Horse" HERE!    

It’s important to choose the right deworming product for your horse based on its stage of life. QUEST PLUS Gel (moxidectin/praziquantel) is an ideal, broad-spectrum dewormer for treating adult horses for small strongyles and tapeworms, the two parasites that pose the most significant health threats to mature horses today. QUEST PLUS Gel also treats large strongyles (bloodworms), bots, pinworms, hairworms, and stomach worms. 

Small strongyles have been shown to have widespread resistance to the active ingredient fenbendazole, which is found in other deworming products. In fact, studies have demonstrated that moxidectin, the active ingredient exclusive to QUEST Gel (moxidectin) and QUEST PLUS Gel in the U.S., is significantly more effective than the active ingredient in Panacur® Powerpac (fenbendazole) at treating small strongyles. (1,2,3,4) As an added benefit, because QUEST PLUS Gel conveniently works in a single dose, horse owners will save money when compared to Panacur Powerpac, which is a double-dose regimen for five days.

The AAEP Parasite Control Guidelines also recommend tapeworm treatment once per year, particularly in the late fall or early winter after tapeworm transmission ends due to cold weather. (1) QUEST PLUS Gel is an ideal deworming choice for the end of grazing season because it contains an additional active ingredient — praziquantel — that specifically targets tapeworms. QUEST PLUS Gel is a single-dose gel formula that dissolves on your horse’s tongue, making deworming fast and easy. One syringe treats horses weighing up to 1,500 lbs.

Always consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment and control of parasitism.

Do not use QUEST Gel or QUEST PLUS Gel in foals less than 6 months of age or in sick, debilitated and underweight horses. Do not use in other animal species, as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result. 

About Zoetis

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After nearly 70 years innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide—from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. In 2020, Zoetis generated revenue of $6.7 billion with ~11,300 employees. For more, visit www.zoetis.com.

The Zoetis Equine division is committed to providing horse care you can count on. Our team includes numerous equine veterinarians and other experts who are inspired daily by the opportunity and profound responsibility to support horses, the owners who love them, and the equine veterinarians and other care team members who safeguard their wellbeing every day. Whether at the clinic or in the field, Zoetis is always by your side with a comprehensive, innovative portfolio of equine products and services at every step of a horse’s care and throughout the journey of a horse’s life.

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(1) American Association of Equine Practitioners. 2019 Internal Parasite Control Guidelines. https://aaep.org/guidelines/parasite-control-guidelines. Accessed September 2021.

(2) Mason ME, Voris ND, Ortis HA, Geeding AA, Kaplan RM. Comparison of a single dose of moxidectin and a five-day course of fenbendazole to reduce and suppress cyathostomin fecal egg counts in a herd of embryo transfer-recipient mares. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2014;245.

(3) Reinemeyer, C.R., Prado, J.C., Nielsen, M.K., 2015. Comparison of the larvicidal efficacies of moxidectin or a five-day regimen of fenbendazole in horses harboring cyathostomin populations resistant to the adulticidal dosage of fenbendazole. Vet. Parasitol. 214, 100-107.

(4) Bellaw JL, Krebs K, Reinemeyer CR, et al. Anthelmintic therapy of equine cyathostomin nematodes – larvicidal efficacy, egg reappearance period, and drug resistance. International Journal for Parasitology. 2018;48(2):97-105. doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.08.009

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