It is important to get the best donkey wormer since donkeys are affected by many different worms or parasites.
You should worm your herd regularly. The timeframe between worming routine will determine on the type of wormer used.
Best Donkey Wormers that Works
It’s a general rule to worm donkeys approximately every 8 weeks. All wormers available on the market come within three chemical family groups namely:
IVERMECTIN e.g. (Furexel, Eqvalan)
PYRANTEL e.g. (Pyratape P, Strongid P)
BENZIMIDAZOLE e.g. (Panacur, Panacur – Equine Guard)
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Most wormers (except Panacur Equine Guard) come in form of granules or tubes. In many cases, a tube of paste is the dose of 600 kg body weight and for a sachet of granules it is 300 kg body weight.
Signs of Worms In Donkeys
The signs of worms in donkeys are:
- Thinness
- Weakness
- Yellow or pale gums
- Swollen belly
- Dull eyes and
- A rough coat
In my experience, any donkey that rubs away at the hairs at the top of its tail often have worms. Worms may appear like thin threads in donkey poop.
When to Worm a Donkey
It is a general thing to worm all newcomers on arrival and isolate for 72 hours. You should ensure sable and pasture hygiene is kept.
Pick up droppings as not all parasites can be controlled by all wormers.
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Ensure you check with your Veterinarian on which wormers to use and when. Let he or she guide you. You should also weigh your donkey and know its weight. That will affect the amount of wormer administered.
List of Parasites Or Worms that Affects Donkeys
Threadworms
This primarily targets foals especially when suckling. Infection occurs from dam causing debilitating diarrhea.
Roundworms
This is more common in foals. It tends to target the gut and damage it as it competes for food. Extreme infestation can lead to a dangerous colic.
Eggs are viable in soil for long periods. You should keep pastures clean.
Strongyles
Strongyles are encysted small redowrm larvae and migrating Large Redoworm that cause large intestine wall damage, anaemia, bleeding, and poor condition.
Bots
Bots flies and their larvae cause stomach damage.
The eggs are visible during summer months as they stick to hair typically on lower legs. They look like cream/whitish tiny grains.
When seen, you should wipe it off with a wet cloth/sponge before they get licked off and ingested. It can be treated by single dose of IVERMECTIN in December or two weeks after the first frost (irrespective of annual drug rotation).
Lungworm
This is yet another donkey parasite. It travels through the body to the lungs while causing damage as it moves.
It leads to permanent respiratory problems. It may be controlled by routine worming.
Tapeworm
Infests the Ileum and small Intestine.
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How to Perform a Worm Counts
An alternative to worming your donkeys every 6-8 weeks is to have a worm count on the feces.
How do I do this? Simple! By taking a sample to your animal doctor. Ig your donkeys do not mix with other donkeys and horses and do not travel out of their immediate environment, they may not need to be wormed so regularly.
Fenbendazole For Donkeys
Fenbendazole for donkeys will work when you administer a single dose of 7.5 mg Fenbendazole/kg body weight. This has proven to remove intestinal parasites from donkeys but repeated treatments have failed in getting rid of lungworm infections in donkeys.
Is Fenbendazole Safe for Donkeys?
Yes, it is.
Equimax For Donkey – Is it Safe?
Multiwormers like Equimax or Equest Pramox are not advocated in donkeys.
Ivermectin for Miniature Donkeys
It used to be a typical practice for donkey owners (miniature or standard) to follow a worming calendar, administering a dewormer, such as Ivermectin, every 4-13 weeks. This approach to worming has proven less effective and unnecessary these days.