Our 36-year-old gelding continued to lose weight despite
special feed, steroid shots and deworming. By late
spring he was morbidly thin and still carried a heavy
winter hair coat...
Today, equine parasitologists
consider cyathostomes (small strongyles) to be the
#1 nematode problem in horses. In fact, small strongyles
can account for up to 90% of the horse’s total
worm burden. Unfortunately, most horse owners don’t
know about encysted small strongyles and the problems
they can cause.
Strongyles, also known
as blood worms, are parasites ingested by the horse
that can cause colic, anemia, diarrhea, weight loss,
poor performance, and other problems. Small strongyles
are particularly problematic because they enclose
themselves in a cyst within the intestinal wall where
they are resistant to many antiparasitic drugs. They
can do severe damage, especially when they emerge
in large numbers from the encysted stage. A higher
level of strongyle infection may have more of an
impact on health than a lower level of infection.
United States Department
of Agriculture
Animal and Plant health inspection service
Info Sheet - Veterinary Services April 2000
