# Benefit to power pack vs other dewormers?



## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Placing an order for some supplies, and I am going to get dewormer for the two new guys. One of the ladies at the barn suggested that I give the Panacur Power Pack to start my rotation. (She's basing their thinness on worms.) 

Now, their old owners have been deworming them every 2 months with a rotation. I have no asked what was in the rotation, but he did say they have been doing. They were dewormed around 8/13 last. 

I'm going to be running a fecal sample next week at work to see how heavy their parasite load. But my questions is this - 

The current supply company I use is $50 per panacur power pack, but is only $8 for a tube of panacur. I know the power pack is 5 days, but would there be a difference in my doing the tube for 5 days versus the power pack? (I'm trying to save just a bit of money, because I'm also having to pay $150 a round bale.) Both are 10% fenbendazole. Opinions? Thoughts?


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Please do NOT powerpak your horse because another horse owner said it might be good since the horse is thin.

Just because a horse is thin does not mean they have worms --- they could have ulcers just as easy.

I would not waste money buying wormer until you give the vet fecal samples which, is the wisest thing to do. Let the vet tell you what product to worm with or the vet may say the horse doesn't need wormed just yet.

The last time I took fecal to the vet, only two of my four horses needed wormed and I doubt it was coincidence that it was the two that are insulin resistant.

Not only would I have wasted money on wormer for two other horses, but I would have needlessly put chemical poisons into them.

Powerpaks should also not be used without a vet's approval because if a horse is in extremely poor condition due to a heavy worm load, the Powerpak will, indeed, kill that wormload but guess what MIGHT happen to the horse? It can colic from trying to pass that massive overload and die. That has been known to happen on some of these forums I belong to.

Thank you for asking the question and thank you even more for planning on taking a fecal to the vet but wait until he/she has the results back before you worm; especially since the previous owners insist they wormed every two months


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Thankfully, I am an rvt and my clinic dvm use to treat horses. And I can do my own fecals. Woohoo lol....that sounded odd. Any who, I just have never used the power pack just because I got a new horse. (other reason they suggested I use it, because they were new to me. 

I know the reason the horses are skinny, which more than likely has nothing to do with worms. Pasture horses, ran with cows, and feed that was low in fat but high in fiber since grass was low. But when you tell people 'pasture' horses, they automatically assume no food and no care.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

The price discrepancy is because the Power Pak is 5 days of a double dose of Panacur. You would need 10 regular tubes, not 5. Since Panacur and Safe-Guard are the same product made by the same company, the cheaper option is to buy the cattle tubes of Safe-Guard. Your cost for a single dose will be about $3.20 or $32.00 for the 5 day double dose regimen.


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Ahh, I didn't know it was a twice a day dosing. That makes more sense now  It would still probably be cheaper for me to buy the bottle of panacur liquid we have at the clinic, lol. Although, I'm waiting for the fecal results on Monday before making any major decisions.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

When you say they ran with cattle and were on cattle feed, I'm guessing you probably will need to deworm but not necessarily need the Power Pak. But just as much, you need a good HORSE feed, which I'm sure you already know. Good job for asking instead of just blindly following, wish more folks would do that!


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

They ran with the cows, but were fed a horse food. Just low quality. I do plan on deworming, but they have been routinely wormed as well. So the power pack thing just kind of threw my off. 

Since being on a good quality food, and steady hay, they have already shown improvements in a week. So, that being said, to me, doesn't mean a heavy load of worms.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Since being on a good quality food, and steady hay, they have already shown improvements in a week. So, that being said, to me, doesn't mean a heavy load of worms. 


Probably not, sounds like you're on the right track.


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks! I'm not new to the game, just new to the rules. LOL. I've ridden for 15 years, but didn't own my first horse till 2004. And he was a rescue, but I flew by the seat of my pants, we weren't at a barn for others opinions to pop up, and he's is in his late 20's, early 30's, now. 

This is my first barn to be at, and well, lets just say their a bunch of busy bodies.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

"This is my first barn to be at, and well, lets just say their a bunch of busy bodies."

SNORT! Welcome to another chapter of "As the Horse World Turns"......That's one thing I don't miss about being a boarder. Now that I have my own facility I keep a pretty tight rein on who butts in to whose business. Not a lot of drama here and that's just how I like it.


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

So...the barn we're at is going to be for sale soon. *hint hint*


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Idlepastures said:


> So...the barn we're at is going to be for sale soon. *hint hint*


LOL, unfortunately not in the market right now, though I have said if I ever move again it will be further south to get out of winter all together. :lol:


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Being on the Texas coast, winter only last for 3 days.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Idlepastures said:


> Being on the Texas coast, winter only last for 3 days.


My point exactly. My idea of Heaven is where it doesn't get colder than 50 F and not over 85 F and no humidity. Good luck finding THAT! HAH!


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## Idlepastures (Sep 5, 2011)

Yea, the 85 thing....we will just leave that one alone.


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Not to even pretend to be an expert, but, if the quality of feed went up, the horses would look better whether or not they had worms. They are getting more nutrients through the feed. That's not much of a barometer at all.


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