An online tool entitled ‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ has been rolled out by diagnostics company Austin Davis Biologics with the aim of supporting the responsible use of worming drugs for horse health.
‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ is a free and simple-to-use online risk calculator which helps horse owners apply evidence-based parasite control to their worming programmes.
Recent guidance highlighted risk assessments as the first step in equine worm control.
By calculating a horse’s risk of worm infection, appropriate next steps can be implemented. These initiatives include pasture management improvements and testing and treatment options as required.
However, risk assessments can be challenging and have proved to be a barrier to this approach to worm control. Austin Davis Biologics have developed ‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ to attempt to combat that and enable horse owners to successfully manage their worm control.
“‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ calculates the likely level of risk based on widely accepted principles regarding equine worm infections and, depending on horse-specific input, will classify the risk of worm infection of an individual horse as low, moderate or high,” said Professor Jacqui Matthews, recognised specialist in parasitology, director of veterinary science at Austin Davis Biologics.
“The tool is designed to be used by owners to help them assess their horse’s risk and takes into account, where relevant, the impact of their grazing companions.”
Designed to assist owners
‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ will help horse owners to use methods such as using pasture and horse management strategies to reduce worm infection in the environment and break worm infection cycles.
Another measure is the use of monitoring tools like faecal worm egg counts and antibody testing to determine the need to treat individuals for egg shedding or worm burden and to assess worm populations for drug resistance.
“‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ is a much-needed tool to support owners in discussing wormers with prescribers and will help them consider responsible wormer use and how to adopt best practice worm control,” said Dr Corrine Austin, managing director of Austin Davis Biologics.
“We hope that widespread use of risk assessments when considering worm control will result in reduced reliance on wormers.”
The risk calculator is available here and works on a smart phone, laptop or desktop computer.
