Tapeworm

See also: Horse Wormers (Manufacturers) | Horse Wormer (Chemicals) | Horse Worming Schedule

Tapeworm
Tapeworms are a type of Cestodes and are potentially very dangerous to horses and require careful management to keep them under control.

Other Names
They are also known as a type of Cestodes.

Three Main Types Of Tapeworm

Description
Tapeworms are between 10cm to 30cm long are white in colour

Tapeworm Infection

Adult Tapeworm within an infected horse shed out egg containing segments.
These egg segments can survive for several months and wait to be eaton by oribatid mites.
It is within these mites that the eggs continue to develop and become known as immature infective tapeworm, this process can take a couple of months.
When the oribatid mite is eaton by the horse the infective immature Tapeworm can then carry on with there development into adulthood which takes around 10 weeks to complete.
The Tapeworm attach themselves to the gut wall at the ileocaecal junction of the small and the large intestine.
As adults they then shed their egg segments out with the horses droppings and the cycle begins again.

Horses At Risk
All horses are at risk from Tapeworms.

Symptoms

Bowel irritation
Weight loss
Colic
- The blocking of blood vessels to the intestines can cause spasmodic colic which in some cases can prove fatal to the horse.
- Ileal Impaction can be caused from an obstruction by Tapeworm.
- Intususseption - This is where the intestine telescopes in on itself causing the horse a great deal of pain.
Abdominal discomfort - This can be due to rupture or twisting of the intestine.
Horses are often very lethargic.
Horses are often very depressed.

Tapeworm Treatment And Prevention

The use of worming products is essential to help protect your horse, ask your veterinarian for a worming schedule to help protect your horse from the threat of these and other worms.
Control of Tapeworm with specific wormers is recommended around the months of March and April and then again during September and October.