Wormer to be discontinued

EQUITAPE, the only praziquantel-only wormer available in the UK, is to be discontinued from October.

The chemical, which targets tapeworm, will only be available in moxidectin or ivermectin combination wormers also used to treat small and large redworm.

Manufacturer Zoetis said the decision was due to a third party manufacturer ceasing supply.

“A new praziquantel-only product for horses would require a new registration, involving many years’ lengthy development and approval processes, which make it an unviable option for the UK alone,” a Zoetis statement said.

“We will continue to communicate with suppliers and horse owners and apologise for any inconvenience.”

The Moredun Research Institute’s Professor Jacqui Matthews said this limits options for species-targeted treatments.

“Resistance is a growing problem and has the potential to become a major horse welfare threat,” she said. “Losing [this] option means any treatment for tapeworm will also impact redworms, required or not.

“Frequent drug exposure speeds development of resistance and has potential to significantly decrease effectiveness of the few chemicals we have to treat lifethreatening worm burdens.”

Experts agree owners will have to be “strategic” in worm control.

Carolyn Cummins, consultant vet to Westgate Labs, said: “The only way of identifying problems is by testing. Worming without understanding the worm burden... is false economy for horse health.”