Panacur Powerpac vs. Something cheaper!

[scrbear11]

Since when did a Powerpac cost $72?! I don’t remember paying that much last time I did it…

Short of it: we’re moving farms. New farm is fresh ground, never had horses on it. I want to nip any worm issues so I don’t infest the new farm. I was thinking of powerpac-ing my four horses. I would start three days prior to move, and finish two days on new farm.

My vet agreed with my idea. I did not do fecals this spring with shots since I was planning on Powerpac-ing (before looking at the price!) Fecals in the fall showed mid-range egg counts on everyone. I dewormed in October.

Thoughts? Suggestions? A cheaper route? Just swallow the bill knowing I will be keeping the new farm clean?

[RoughOut]

It depends on what type of parasite you are trying to get rid of. The fall fecal should tell you what species of eggs were present and then you can pick a dewormer from there.

I know the feeling if having fresh pasture and not wanting any shedding of eggs/oocytes!! You just have to be sure you aren’t going to be shedding resistant eggs on to the new pasture.

[Simkie]

Just do Quest Plus. It’s the right time of year for it, it gets encysteds strongyles that you’re hitting with a powerpac, and it also gets bots and tapes that you’re not getting with a powerpac.

They’ve always been pricy. I think they used to run closer to $80, so it sounds like the price has actually come down.

[scrbear11]

@Simkie

Just do Quest Plus. It’s the right time of year for it, it gets encysteds strongyles that you’re hitting with a powerpac, and it also gets bots and tapes that you’re not getting with a powerpac.

They’ve always been pricy. I think they used to run closer to $80, so it sounds like the price has actually come down.

Timing? The day before the move? A week before the move?

[trubandloki]

@Simkie

They’ve always been pricy. I think they used to run closer to $80, so it sounds like the price has actually come down.

That was my thought too. I read the OP thinking ‘that is less than I paid the last time I used one, and that was quite a few years ago’.

[Scribbler]

@scrbear11

Timing? The day before the move? A week before the move?

If you really want to be sure I’d say do a fecsl count now, worm, do a follow up fecsl coubt.

Realize that you are not going to blast out every last worm and that much depends on your horses own resistance to worms.

There was a good spring worming thread up recently with good links.

[Simkie]

@scrbear11

Timing? The day before the move? A week before the move?

A week or two before would probably be fine. The ERP for moxidectin is something like 12 weeks, iirc.

[joiedevie99]

Quest Plus 7-10 days before you move would be my pick.

[JB]

Agree it’s a perfect use for Quest Plus. Lots cheaper, lots more effective, and when it comes to the encysted strongyles, kinder to the horse.

At least 3 days before moving, 5-7 is better. If doing it before the move isn’t possible, then if you can at least remove all manure from any pasture they are in, every day for at least 3 days, then that is good enough.

A Power Pack won’t take care of tapeworms or bots, and since you haven’t dewormed since October, you want to kill those now.

It also may not do a good job on adult strongyles, which is the biggest concern.

[Jarpur]

A friend who bred Welsh ponies recommended buying the liquid Safeguard from TSC, which is packaged for goats. Did this myself a time or two; it is less expensive than the Panacur, and the horses ate it poured over their food, no problem.

I figured out the dosing rate, according to the weight of my horses, to make it comparable to the Power Pac paste. Right now, the liquid is $28/125 ml. at TSC.

[JB]

I’ve done the liquid Safeguard as well. But the issues are still what the issues are, as outlined above.

[PNWjumper]

I also order Safeguard liquid - in the 1000ml size ($130). If I’m doing my eyeballing right, it works out to roughly $30/horse for power pack dosage (~50ml per horse per day) and each bottle covers a power pack for 4 horses.