Has anyone had issues with diarrhea (I mean really loose) after treating with Quest Plus? Deleting the rest of my post, as I got the answer to my question about Quest and diarrhea, and evidently it’s not uncommon.
Worming several times in six weeks is really not a great idea. Single doses of fenbendazole are pretty useless as resistance is high. It can have a place in deworming a really loaded horse, but quest plus would be a huge next step.
What all has he had, and when?
It’s probably not the Quest Plus itself, but that it wasn’t the correct anthelmintic for this use. Yes, he might be in a major die off.
The AAEP deworming guide lines are a great place to start: https://aaep.org/guidelines/parasite-control-guidelines
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You’ve wormed him several times in just six weeks?
I’d suggest slowing down, that’s an awful lot in a short period of time especially if you’ve used several different products. Did you do a fecal? Vet on board?
I have never had a horse with diarrhea after QP, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It could be you’ve just hit him with too many chemicals in a short period and his gut Flora is off… I’m sure someone will have a probiotics suggestion, but honestly I’d just consult your vet and explain what you’ve done, and what’s happening now.
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You do realize that it takes time to put weight on a horse? What are you feeding him?
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Sounds like it’s time for a vet visit. You need to understand the feeding/worming protocols for a horse in poor condition. You first say he was in pretty poor condition, but “he’s not in that bad of shape” four lines later.
From the sound of it, you’re making matters worse.
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My main question was has anybody experienced Diarrhea after using Quest. I wasn’t asking for advice on de-worming protocol. Although I appreciate all your input 
A vet friend just told me that she has seen that happen with Quest, so evidently it’s a thing. I’ve never used it before, so no experience with it.
It was a pwr. pac, 5 days of fenbend. He was also wormed before I got him, I believe she used Ivermec. They had him for a couple of months before I got him.
Following up a power pac with quest plus is a strange choice. A power pac addresses the encysted strongyles. Quest is broad spectrum, but the reason most people choose it over Equimax is for it’s action on those same encysted strongyles.
What’s your goal with quest plus, particularly so soon after a power pac and within a few months of ivermectin, especially when you’ve never used any form of quest before? 
It’s important to use these things in a certain way…which is not how it sounds like you’re going about it. That document from the AAEP is really worth a read, highly recommend. Great base of learning for this stuff. :yes:
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It is always a bit risky deworming any animal that is in poor condition. It might be best to get a vets advice, have him see the horse and then deworm according to his recommendations.
As said multiple dewormings in such a short time is a mistake. It takes a long time to see any results in a thin horse.
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I think it will be better to think of them as poisoning the worms. So you don’t want to be poisoning the horse every 2 weeks.
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Just wanted to update on my little rescue horse, and my worming protocol. First off, my protocol worked. Now I know a lot of you thought I was being reckless, and I’m sure you thought/think I have no idea what I’m doing, and that’s fine but I do kind of know what I’m doing and what I’m talking about. A lot of folks think you need to do a fecal on your horse before you worm, and that’s all well and good, however, the parasites that show up in the fecal really aren’t the parasites that are doing most of the damage. The parasites that are doing the damage are the encysted worms. In addition to that, those encysted parasites are also capable of carrying diseases, bacterial, fungal, protozoan etc…Fenbendazole and moxidectin, are the only anthelmintics that get encysted parasites. Doing the pwr pac on this little guy helped some, but not a lot. He still wasn’t gaining weight, he was still very lethargic, had no appetite. He also would look at his flanks a lot, not like a colic thing, but just acted painful. That’s consistent with encysted parasites, very irritating to the gut. After the initial admin of the mocidectin he experienced what we call herxing, that’s when you get a die off, and toxins are flooding the bloodstream. He had about 2 days of looseness and being a little off…after that he was fine. Moxidectin stays in the system for quite some time, about 23-24 days, that’s a longgggg time. Last weekend he had about the biggest poop I had ever seen in a horse, let alone a horse his size, it looked like an elephant, the consistency was perfect, with the exception of a little mucous in it (that’s consistent with using a drug that gets encysted worms) As of today, his improvement has been steady and he’s really coming on. Way more energy, great appetite, putting on weight, hardly any looking at his flanks anymore…
Now I fully expect to be attacked and told I’m a nut job, and that’s cool…but the proof is in the pudding.
Folks are always happy with a great outcome for a horse with health issues.
Your presentation of the end result, however, is on the tart side - as if inviting negative comebacks. I am sure you will “reap what you sow” :):)
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wow, 'my presentation of the results was on the ‘tart side’? My initial question on this was, had anyone experienced loose stools after using quest plus. I was immediately inundated with people questioning, dismissing and basically attacking my deworming methods, when all I asked about was looseness of stool. I’m not inviting neg. comebacks at all, I was offering up the results of my protocol, which were positive. If anybody is negative here, it would be you. Why not say, something like, “so happy everything turned out for you and your little rescue horse” and if not that, then here’s a thought, say nothing at all. I know I look at deworming a lot differently from most of you, and I doubt very much that I will change anyone’s mind on the subject, and that’s fine. I’ve had experiences in the last year or 2 that have made me look at parasites in a different light, and as a result of that, I come at them in a different way now, and so far in every instance it’s worked for me.
Could have fooled me…
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Sometimes positive outcomes happen in spite of instead of because of.
Anthelmintics are drugs. There’s a prescribed way of using them, which is based on real, actual research. Having a positive outcome after making up your own treatment method doesn’t mean you were right–it means you got lucky. When you make it up as you go along, and ignore the research, there’s a good chance that you won’t always be lucky.
That guideline from the AAEP is a great place for you to start.
Glad your horse is okay ðŸ‘
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Bless your heart!!!
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Buuuuut, a lot of what I’ve gleaned from the thread says there is some critical information missing.
A lot of folks think you need to do a fecal on your horse before you worm, and that’s all well and good,
And a lot of people know you don’t NEED to do a FEC before deworming. Context is critical in when a FEC is needed, or “needed”, or not needed
however, the parasites that show up in the fecal really aren’t the parasites that are doing most of the damage.
Well, ascarids can do a heap of damage in foals and young horses, and do show up on FECs. Adult strongyles can do a LOT of damaged, and show up on FECs.
The parasites that are doing the damage are the encysted worms.
Correct that they don’t show on a FEC, and that they can do damage (again, context, how many are we talking about?).
But tapeworms and bots can also do extensive damage, and don’t show up.
All that means is - FECs give you pretty good insight into the adult strongyle situation, but FEC-based deworming says to STILL target bots and tapeworms twice a year, with a few areas really only needing it once for either or both of those.
In addition to that, those encysted parasites are also capable of carrying diseases, bacterial, fungal, protozoan etc…
What diseases, bacterial, fungal, protozoan etc…? I’d love to read the research on that.
Fenbendazole and moxidectin, are the only anthelmintics that get encysted parasites.
Correct, with moxidectin being more effective, and healthier for the gut
Doing the pwr pac on this little guy helped some, but not a lot. He still wasn’t gaining weight, he was still very lethargic, had no appetite. He also would look at his flanks a lot, not like a colic thing, but just acted painful. That’s consistent with encysted parasites, very irritating to the gut.
It’s also a symptom of gastric or hind gut issues
After the initial admin of the mocidectin he experienced what we call herxing, that’s when you get a die off, and toxins are flooding the bloodstream.
Except, Moxidectin paralyzes parasites, so they are expelled.
On the other hand, a Power Pack kills them in place, where they decay, release toxins, and create little ulcers where they were attached.
He had about 2 days of looseness and being a little off…after that he was fine. Moxidectin stays in the system for quite some time, about 23-24 days, that’s a longgggg time.
Let’s try 12 weeks 
Last weekend he had about the biggest poop I had ever seen in a horse, let alone a horse his size, it looked like an elephant, the consistency was perfect, with the exception of a little mucous in it (that’s consistent with using a drug that gets encysted worms)
Mucus-coated manure is also a symptom of ulcers.
As of today, his improvement has been steady and he’s really coming on. Way more energy, great appetite, putting on weight, hardly any looking at his flanks anymore…
Happy to see he’s doing well :yes:
Now I fully expect to be attacked and told I’m a nut job, and that’s cool…but the proof is in the pudding.
Your 'tude does leave a lot to be desired But I hope the above information shows you why everyone else was telling you or implying that you really didn’t quite know what you were doing. And so what, we weren’t born knowing this stuff. Taking offense to being old “uhhh, that’s not quite right” is a great way to make sure you never do learn what is correct.
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