# Any use quest?



## spirit88 (Jan 12, 2011)

I use quest and have never had a problem used quest plus this fall no issues. Only wormer iv had issues with was zimectrin gold. caused mouth ulcers in all three of my horses. The ulcers were so bad all three quit eating for several days.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I won't do quest because I have a mini and if you overdose just the slightest but with a mini it will kill them. I buy panacur a powerpac. Alot cheaper then quest, atleast in my area. Quest was almost $100 for a powerpac and panacur was only $62.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

We use quest in our worming rotation. Never had a problem to my knowledge. Just like people ever horse is going to react differently to various medications. Nothing is 100% safe. A lot of these medications are neruotoxic and won't effect the horse because its not a toxic dose of the medication. Shove 20 tubes of wormer in a horses mouth, well then you might see signs of neurotoxicity. This article is pretty hand; Understanding anthelmintics . It covers the 3 groups of wormers and how each one effects their target. 

What horror stories have you heard of?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> I won't do quest because I have a mini and if you overdose just the slightest but with a mini it will kill them. I buy panacur a powerpac. Alot cheaper then quest, atleast in my area. Quest was almost $100 for a powerpac and panacur was only $62.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Actually, I didn't know quest made a powerpac, interesting. I always get the panacur powerpac. The quest, for my purposes (just want to ensure encysted strongyles are eliminated), is a lot cheaper - just 10 - 12 bucks, per single dose of quest or the plus.



SlideStop said:


> We use quest in our worming rotation. Never had a problem to my knowledge. Just like people ever horse is going to react differently to various medications. Nothing is 100% safe. A lot of these medications are neruotoxic and won't effect the horse because its not a toxic dose of the medication. Shove 20 tubes of wormer in a horses mouth, well then you might see signs of neurotoxicity. This article is pretty hand; Understanding anthelmintics . It covers the 3 groups of wormers and how each one effects their target.
> 
> What horror stories have you heard of?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


There are multiple reports on line from horse owners that have had problems, including death - mostly illness. I discount reports involving mini's, only b/c of the possible dose errror. Clinical studies prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, though, that moxidectin is easier on their intestine and has a higher efficacy..but I do not see any studies that directly challenge the reports of adverse effects. Even if there were no merit to a single report...it still makes one take pause. My horses are a bit chubby, so I feel it makes them more "safe" since it binds to fat....I just wish there were something that made me "know" the risk is no higher than w fendenazole.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Missy I don't know.
Did a fecal this spring (need another) and the vet had me use Quest. THE NEXT DAY Rick acted all weird, dragging his front left foot, spinning, he just wasn't right you know? Had the vet out, put him in a stall, he got better. Was it the Quest? Was it a freak pasture injury? I still don't know. Haven't used it again, hoping I won't have to. (But it did knock the worms)


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Honestly, if you study and type field that has a research aspect you can skew any data in favor of one thing or another. You have to look at the numbers of the study to see how accurate the study was and look at WHO did the study (if the makers of power pac did the study of course the results will be in their favor). Also, I know for people, if *one* person reports something like dry eyes during a medication trial they MUST list it a side effect of the medication. 

The other thing to think about is people are always willing write bad reviews, no one ever posts about how the wormer did its job and their horse is happy and healthy. You have no idea about that horses health status or if the owner even gave a correct does! There are SO many variables when listening to a person self-report a review. I know people who will get up in arms over a loose poop...

To give or not to give is the question and it will ultimately be determined by you but its important to remember to not believe everything you hear. Make your own informed decision.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> Missy I don't know.
> Did a fecal this spring (need another) and the vet had me use Quest. THE NEXT DAY Rick acted all weird, dragging his front left foot, spinning, he just wasn't right you know? Had the vet out, put him in a stall, he got better. Was it the Quest? Was it a freak pasture injury? I still don't know. Haven't used it again, hoping I won't have to. (But it did knock the worms)


Classic signs of neruotoxicity as the drug worked its way out of his body. 

It's probably better to underestimate the dose then to give a little to much.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

FlyGap said:


> Missy I don't know.
> Did a fecal this spring (need another) and the vet had me use Quest. THE NEXT DAY Rick acted all weird, dragging his front left foot, spinning, he just wasn't right you know? Had the vet out, put him in a stall, he got better. Was it the Quest? Was it a freak pasture injury? I still don't know. Haven't used it again, hoping I won't have to. (But it did knock the worms)


OMG! Poor Rick. See what I mean? It's just spooky. I guess I will do Panacur - even though it is nearly winter, and again in June. Jolene's fecal exam from her "vet visit" showed a few strongyle eggs and nothing else. Double...D it! They both had equimax in mid Nov. Rarity was negative last count - in sand and heat, there is no real "source" to reinfect. But, I suspect Jolene's previous owner, like a lot of owners, just administered the "other" wormers. We'll get Jolene in shape...I hope I can at least afford to keep putting sugar on my oatmeal after all is said and done...I already cut out the butter.


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

I have never had an issue with it..and I have wormed ponies as well as horses and an emmaciated mule with the stuff (with out the use of a weight tape). Nobody died or had weird side effects.

I know it does have a smaller window of over dose than other wormers so you have to be cautious with it ( think its only twice the dose amount whereas other wormers usually run in the 3x dose amount)...but any medication, herb or hell even feed has the potential to mess your horse up. Worming a heavily infested horse causing massive parasite death can be hard on a horse..how do we know this wasn't the culprit in some of the bad review cases? Or people grossly over estimating a horses weight thus giving them too much.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

The really big issue if you use only fendenazole or Panacur is that you may not be killing all the strongyles. I was getting a lot of strongyles showing up on fecals with Panacur. I now usually rotate between strongid P and ivermectin. I have never had a bad reaction, but I did get a positive fecal floatation recently. I plan to retest about two weeks after using ivermectin again. I'll have to see how that goes. 

I have also heard people say that their horses got sick after using Quest.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

SlideStop said:


> Honestly, if you study and type field that has a research aspect you can skew any data in favor of one thing or another. You have to look at the numbers of the study to see how accurate the study was and look at WHO did the study (if the makers of power pac did the study of course the results will be in their favor). Also, I know for people, if *one* person reports something like dry eyes during a medication trial they MUST list it a side effect of the medication.
> 
> The other thing to think about is people are always willing write bad reviews, no one ever posts about how the wormer did its job and their horse is happy and healthy. You have no idea about that horses health status or if the owner even gave a correct does! There are SO many variables when listening to a person self-report a review. I know people who will get up in arms over a loose poop...
> 
> ...


That was my point, I don't have any way of determining the merit of any of the claims (except fly's - I am sure of her report) so I do not necessarily "believe" the reports, it is just the seed of doubt that starts working on your mind. Much like the fear of "ghosts". There are quite a few people that report wonderful results. But, then - its the same public that is using panacur powerpac, and I do not see many reports of adverse effects from the use of said product. I am pretty diligent when I do a document search and review current studies, their individual stated methods, instrumentation utilized, by whom it was performed, etc., in an effort to weigh the credibility. I do find it a bit interesting that I was unable to locate any study that addresses the reports of adverse effects.

I'm playing it safe for now. Panacur power pac is about 100 bucks more (for 2) and a lot more hassle, and I might very well change my mind some day...but currently my nerves couldn't handle the slightest physical "hiccup" from it.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

SlideStop I agree, it didn't dawn on me for a few weeks. (It was terrifying!)
I did not overdose though, vet advised me on each horse. 900 lbs. for Rick which was dead on then. I'm thinking he was more sensitive to it than the others which were fine. 

Missy it did get him a 3 month rest, LOL! He's pretty undermuscled now because of it, we've got our work cut out for us! You are lucky in those regards, mine are on pasture and E's pony brought some funky stuff home. I quarantined her for two months but guess I didn't get everything eradicated, grrrrr. Hugs, poor Jolene, but poor you! I couldn't choke down oatmeal without drowning it!! :lol: (Go grow you some stevia, it's cheap, LOL!!)


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

$100? Wow, that is a lot of money. 

I just looked it up, and they claim 96 - 98 % efficacy. I think that when I used fenbendazol, it was not the 5 day treatment. I would have to have a clear problem to pay $100 if it is just for one horse. I would pay $500 if there was nothing else that worked, but there are other things. The only way that you could consider a one time 5 day treatment to be all that effective is if you also treated your pastures or if you moved them to a totally clean environment. I don't have enough pastures to absolutely leave them empty of horses long enough to kill all the worms in the feces out there.


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

I too have questioned using moxidectin (Quest) and actually had a vet out the other day for some other critters and I asked about it.
Specifically about using it in rotation with the others as per the AVMA recommendations and he said yes he recommends it. I asked about the problems associated with it and he said yes there have been some problems, but the issue is usually weight and not calculating it correctly. (Of note, this was more of a crusty old timer type of vet who was able to make a farm call. There are very few vets who make farm calls here and I usually have to load up and haul said animal to a good vet. But I can’t always do that.)

However, it is a known fact that some dewormers cannot be used in certain breeds of dogs but are fine for other breeds, so I am not surprised that some horses may react to moxidectin, even when used correctly. 
Also, sometimes bad reactions in animals or people to a given medication or injection can be traced to the carrying agent than the actual drug is put into, and not the medication itself.

I also know that other classes or dewormers have much lower incidences of causing problems or they have a wider margin of error for many types of animals (in general.)
Because of all of this, I consider using moxidectin a calculated risk and since at this point there are other drugs to choose from within that rotation group, I personally choose not to use Quest even with one local vet‘s opinion that it is ok.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I have a tube of Quest Plus ready to give to my horse in the next week or two. I asked my vet which product she recommended to cover tapeworms and this is the one she recommended; I was mostly undecided between Quest Plus and Zimectrin Gold. Fenbendazole doesn't kill tapeworms, so Panacur wasn't even on the table.



Cowgirls Boots said:


> I won't do quest because I have a mini and if you overdose just the slightest but with a mini it will kill them. I buy panacur a powerpac. Alot cheaper then quest, atleast in my area. Quest was almost $100 for a powerpac and panacur was only $62.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I've never heard of a Quest PowerPac, and I'm not even sure why you'd need to use one in a regular rotation. As far as I can tell, the Panacur PowerPac is just 5 double-dose tubes of their regular Panacur/fenbendazole paste given daily for 5 days; it's designed to kill of encysted small strongyles, which a single dose of fenbendazole won't get. As far as I'm aware, there's nothing Quest Plus will kill in multiple doses that it won't kill in just a single dose.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Celeste said:


> $100? Wow, that is a lot of money.
> 
> I just looked it up, and they claim 96 - 98 % efficacy. I think that when I used fenbendazol, it was not the 5 day treatment. I would have to have a clear problem to pay $100 if it is just for one horse. I would pay $500 if there was nothing else that worked, but there are other things. The only way that you could consider a one time 5 day treatment to be all that effective is if you also treated your pastures or if you moved them to a totally clean environment. I don't have enough pastures to absolutely leave them empty of horses long enough to kill all the worms in the feces out there.


It's $100 more total than it is for quest for _2_ horses - a much better per horse figure for me. I agree, though, I won't just randomly give my horses a powerpac. But, strongyles showed up in my new filly's recent fecal exam...so not just a clear problem, one of the worst. The manure is removed at least once a day every day from their corral...sand, no grass. Once negative, they tend to stay that way.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

verona1016 said:


> I have a tube of Quest Plus ready to give to my horse in the next week or two. I asked my vet which product she recommended to cover tapeworms and this is the one she recommended;


Just FYI...you might want to look at Equimax for tapeworms.

I'd be very interested in hearing anything that you observe "out of the ordinary" after you administer the Q - plus.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Here is what it looked like. (terrible video, I was freaking out, and alone, talking like a dope) AGAIN, not saying 1,000% for sure, but I suspect it to be the case.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

And my barn needed a good cleaning! GAH! It was a bad day.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Just FYI...you might want to look at Equimax for tapeworms.
> 
> I'd be very interested in hearing anything that you observe "out of the ordinary" after you administer the Q - plus.


I'll definitely report back if I have any issues- I do give dewormers during my vet's normal hours on weekdays just in case of complications, no matter what type I'm using!


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Thats awful! How scary for you. Poor Rick! Good thing you were thinking to take videos. Like you already posted, it could have been unrelated...but it's good enough for me! My vet will be back soon (come on, come on!!). I really want to know what he says b/c he ordinarily does entire breeding facilities, not "individuals"...so he might have seen multiple horses dosed w it at the same time. But, like lockwood...even if he gave it the thumbs up, I still don't think I will use it this time around - if ever.

Oh, and thanks for sharing, Fly!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The problem with the internet is one isolated incident happens and it get blown out of proportion and goes viral. Everyone puts their on spin on it and next thing you know the incident has turned into a horror story. Qeust kills bots at all stages. If you read the life cycle of the bot from the time it ingest the eggs until it's pooped out I think you will opt for the Quest. If a dewormer seems to cause mouth ulcers that is because the bots spend part of their life cycle in the cheeks. The dewormer kills them leaving the bot caused ulcers.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Yeah, it worked great for my other two. It is good stuff!

Thanks Missy! That video is so dorky! I was just totally freaked out, don't you just hate hearing your own voice...


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

FlyGap said:


> Yeah, it worked great for my other two. It is good stuff!
> 
> Thanks Missy! That video is so dorky! I was just totally freaked out, don't you just hate hearing your own voice...


I didn't think it was Dorky, it clearly demonstrated his condition at the time, a picture is worth a million words! And you have a lovely voice! I mumble when I film....and say random things - my family gets a kick out of it at my expense.


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## Trinity3205 (Dec 21, 2010)

Quest is a GREAT dewormer. All the vets I use that also own horses use Quest almost exclusively. What does that tell you? They use it twice a year spring and fall to clean out a horse. Quest plus in the fall. Its the cheapest deworming product that isnt resisted. MOst other dewormers are showing a good deal of resistance.

It MUST be dosed correctly however and it is NOT for debilitated horses. It works!

Also, you DO NOT powerpack QUEST! It is a ONE DOSE dewormer period and that is why it is cheaper than using a powerpack. 10 dollars vs 60. Read the directions before you use it.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i used quest once per year with no issue. as long as you dont drastically overdose it, there is no greater risk than putting anything else in your horses body. heck, ive had more horses have vaccine reactions ! ive never had a horse respond negatively to dewormer.


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## BigGreyHorse (Sep 28, 2009)

Used it every fall for the last 4 years without an issue.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

BigGreyHorse said:


> Used it every fall for the last 4 years without an issue.


Just something to consider..I don't know where you are located and what the weather is like, but when I have powerpac'ed I shot for the summer months b/c of the advantage of the heat. I have no choice right now b/c she (new filly) came back positive for strongyles only and was wormed w equimax 3 weeks ago.


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## RedHorseRidge (Nov 3, 2012)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> Quest was almost $100 for a powerpac and panacur was only $62.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I don't quite understand this statement about a Quest power pack. You can't give Quest multiple times like you would for a Pancur power pack, so they don't make one. To deworm with Quest costs one tube per 1300# horse, or about $13. Not $100. I can deworm one horse seven times with $100 worth of Quest; that's 3 1/2 years for me, as I use it twice a year. If you gave a horse $100 worth of Quest in a 5 days, you'd most likely kill it.

I attended a seminar a few years back on deworming and 5 out of 5 
of the vets there recommended including Quest in a horse owner's deworming program. 2 of the 5 used Quest exclusively because it had no known resistance issues and because it does not kill dung beetles in droves like ivermectin does. 3 of these vets said they have only seen a few instances of Quest making seemingly healthy horses sick when it was given as directed: and all cases were in horses that had a higher parasite load than expected. I'm not saying the OPs horse fits this description; I'm simply repeating what they told me when I asked about problems with Quest before I began using it.

My neighbor has 3 minis and she uses Quest Plus each spring on them. But she gets an accurate weight first and then is very careful to give them a precise dose.

Quest does not have the same safety margin as other dewormers; that doesn't make it bad. It just means one has to be more careful when using it. Plus, it works so well it should NEVER be given to a sick or debilitated horse; I wouldn't give it to a foal or an elder horse either, or a horse with a high parasite load as it kills of worms very quickly.

I find it somewhat ironic that this dewormer has gotten a bad wrap because it works... I've used it for years with no issues. As GG said, I've had more issues with vaccinations that with using Quest.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

RedHorseRidge said:


> 3 of these vets said they have only seen a few instances of Quest making seemingly healthy horses sick when it was given as directed: and all cases were in horses that had a higher parasite load than expected. I'm not saying the OPs horse fits this description; I'm simply repeating what they told me when I asked about problems with Quest before I began using it.
> 
> My neighbor has 3 minis and she uses Quest Plus each spring on them. But she gets an accurate weight first and then is very careful to give them a precise dose.
> 
> ...


I never questioned its efficacy. I do not use a powerpac w/o a fecal count (i.e., a reason). My mare was negative for everything last check, but I recently purchased a new filly and immediatley wormed her, 3 weeks later she is positive for strongyles....again, a "reason". Introducing a new member is always a concern when it comes to parasites.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If a horse had a heavy parasite load, it would most likely be wise to use something other than Quest until you get him in better shape. Then the Quest might be a good choice after the parasite load is decreased. I doubt any parasite control is going to work all that well unless you also clean the manure out of the pasture or rotate your pastures so that they sit without horses on them through very hot or very cold weather.

The only way that you can know whether you are doing a good job is to do fecals on a regular basis. The frequency that you need to do this will depend on your individual area and stabling situation.


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## Trinity3205 (Dec 21, 2010)

Fecals will not show Tapeworms or Encysted Strongyles. Powerpacks and Quest Plus( or Quest for jusrt encysted) address both of those. My vet tells me to just give it twice a year to cover those things.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

You are right. They do not show everything. Usually if a horse has a lot of strongyles, they will have eggs as well as encysted larvae. There is certainly nothing wrong with treating as if they are positive whether you have eggs or not. It is no doubt a good idea. The issue that I have seen is people using inadequate products and assuming that they are working when the are not.


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> Yeah, it worked great for my other two. It is good stuff!
> 
> Thanks Missy! That video is so dorky! I was just totally freaked out, don't you just hate hearing your own voice...


Yes, I hate hearing my own voice too, but this was Not dorky Fly!
He responded very well to what you were asking him to do (shows he's well aware) and your video clearly showed that he knew where his foot was... it, and the leg, just ddn't fully cooperate with what he wanted them to do. 
As opposed to a reaction where he couldn't determine where his feet even were.
I don't think you realize it, but that is a telling video should you ever need/did show it to your vet.
Poor boy... and good job keeping your cool too!
If that had been me and Dig, I would have forgot to take the lens cap off or to press record, then I would have bawled my eyes out.
Or cussed, one of the two.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Missy May said:


> I never questioned its efficacy. I do not use a powerpac w/o a fecal count (i.e., a reason). My mare was negative for everything last check, but I recently purchased a new filly and immediatley wormed her, 3 weeks later she is positive for strongyles....again, a "reason". Introducing a new member is always a concern when it comes to parasites.


i dont really think introducing a new horse to the herd is a huge deal in terms of parasite load. about 50% of horses can control their parasite load on their own. so they basically will either be able to take care of it all the time or they will need help all the time. this is why fecal egg counts are so important.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Gypsy, the main reason I get a fecal count is strongyles. Most all parasites are nasty, but those are insidious.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I have seen horses get serious colic from strongyles. That is the main thing that I worry about.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I forgot to post the "wrap up". As I said ^, I was waiting for my vet to come back from and out of town. He returned and I asked him. He said he had had horses react to it, none that reacted to fendenazole. He is an equine vet, only. So, I decided not to play the odds. I surely wish this was not the case as it is far cheaper and simpler. I hope they are in the process of developing new wormers that address this issue.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Ok! How's Jolene doing?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

FlyGap said:


> Ok! How's Jolene doing?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Hey party girl! She is back to her little chubby impish self, thanks for asking. It is freezing today; she seems to be "in her element" in the cold.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

I need more pictures. 
There is a one on craigslist, big hefty guy, he's been listed for over a year. The lady is picky, picky, picky on who takes him. She hasn't messed with him in 2 years, but apparently he drives, plows, and has been ridden. I hope he sells soon...
Or else I'll get him, ride him over, and we can have a Haffie party!


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## RedHorseRidge (Nov 3, 2012)

Missy May said:


> I hope they are in the process of developing new wormers that address this issue.


At my seminar this group of vets and some reps from Farnam/Pfizer both said there is nothing in the works as far as new wormers... quest is pretty much it right now for chemical wormers (but this was a couple years ago). That's why they were adamant about having fecals done and having people develop targeted deworming programs... so the worms didn't develop a resistance to the last truly effective chemical.

They did, however, say that research was being done on some herbal remedies that had some luck in stopping the hatching of eggs.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

RedHorseRidge said:


> At my seminar this group of vets and some reps from Farnam/Pfizer both said there is nothing in the works as far as new wormers... quest is pretty much it right now for chemical wormers (but this was a couple years ago). That's why they were adamant about having fecals done and having people develop targeted deworming programs... so the worms didn't develop a resistance to the last truly effective chemical.
> 
> They did, however, say that research was being done on some herbal remedies that had some luck in stopping the hatching of eggs.


Well, my dear friend died of cancer at 30. If not for cancer, he would have lived much longer. He had lived w me in 5 different states (5 diff environments). When he was in isolated herds I only ever wormed him twice a year. Before wormers, 30 would have been considered very old. Yet, my grandfather had several (granted it was a minority) horses that died of "natural causes" around 30 - that was decades ago before ivermectin. He always ran his horses (he had many) w cattle and sheep on purpose. They are _now_ "re-discovering" that that is very effective in keeping worm load down. I think the "silver bullets" often result in losing valuable imperical knowledge.

It is management as much as worming, IMO. Poor management leaves the greatest potential to develope resistance. All I feel anyone can do to combat the growing threat is stay informed, use common sense and manage their own "around" resistancies and reactions. In this case (moxidectin), it is a "personal" decision.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Missy May said:


> It is management as much as worming, IMO. Poor management leaves the greatest potential to develope resistance.


Good point. Keeping horses in a clean environment and rotating pastures can be as important as giving drugs.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

verona1016 said:


> I'll definitely report back if I have any issues- I do give dewormers during my vet's normal hours on weekdays just in case of complications, no matter what type I'm using!


Just wanted to update- I ended up holding off on deworming for a couple weeks waiting for a hard freeze and finally gave the Quest Plus on Jan 1st. No issues, nothing out of the ordinary


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