Prevention - Internal Parasites

Sanitation and management practices should be used to assist in controlling internal parasite infections. Remember that foals are born free of internal parasites, they get them from direct or indirect contact with older animals that are carrying the infections. All of the worm parasites discussed here use feces or manure as the means of spreading the infections by contamination of feed and water supplies or the environment.

Transfer stages of these worm parasites do not actively seek the host to complete the infection process. Instead, they rely on chance to be picked up and swallowed. Thus only a very small percentage actually complete this hazardous step in the life cycle. To compensate for this, large numbers of eggs are produced by the female worms to start the transfer process.

Sanitation and management practices aid in controlling or minimizing spread of the infections. These practices assist the natural destructive forces such as sunlight and drying during the transfer stages. Also, susceptible animals should have limited contact with contaminated pastures, paddocks, or stables.