Dear fellow horse owners, farm managers, vets, and any other horse lover, this post is to notify and gain information on anyone who has used Zimecterin Gold for their horse and have had a reaction. Reactions include but are not limited to; swelling of the mouth, lips, and/or tongue, ulcers on mouth, lips, or tongue, colic like symptoms, colic, seizures, and death. It is believed that the carrier agent in this wormer is the problem and we are trying to gather information and cases that support the need for Zimecterin Gold to be taken off the market or changed so that it does not cause these potentially deadly reactions. Here is a Facebook link where we have begun compiling information - Zimectrin Gold Wormer Paste Adverse Reaction. Please feel free to share any experiences you have had in this thread or on the Facebook page. Together we can save our horses pain and discomfort !!
There have been several old threads on here about the problem. A friend wormed her 3 horses w/ ZG and within a short time, needed to call vet for
horrible reactions which you mentioned. Her vet was familiar w/ the problems but sorta blew them off as “it does happen sometimes.”
There have been quite a few threads about this for several years now. I stopped using it years ago after my OTTB’s mouth swelled up like a balloon, right after using it. They’ve know there is an issue and still keep it on the market.
I thought this was a known issue with Zimectrin Gold? Couldn’t even pay me to dose my horse with it!
We are getting a lawyer involved to help address this issue but we need specifics such as horse owners name, horse name, age, sex, date of reaction, approximately how long it took for reaction, vet involvement, treatment. Please if anyone has had issues with ZG, share below with info previously listed !! Thanks so much ??
This has been a known potential adverse side effect for Zimecterin Gold for years and years…there’s even a warning in their product insert.
Good luck with your suit, but if I had to guess, I’d say the company has well covered themselves considering they tell you outright this can happen.
You do realize that you can get a reaction from anything foreign you put into any body, right?
[QUOTE=Simkie;8223225]
This has been a known potential adverse side effect for Zimecterin Gold for years and years…there’s even a warning in their product insert.
Good luck with your suit, but if I had to guess, I’d say the company has well covered themselves considering they tell you outright this can happen.[/QUOTE]
Their warning does little to describe the actual reactions and this is only what we can see externally. If a lot of vets don’t recommend using it, we as equine caregivers need to keep it from harming other horses. Do you use it? Be supportive… !! It’s not a suit to gain any monetary compensation other than covering vet bills.
[QUOTE=cutter99;8223338]
You do realize that you can get a reaction from anything foreign you put into any body, right?[/QUOTE]
Really…? Grumpy much? This is just silly.
OP, thanks for posting this. Yes, many old threads on this, but there may be some new people to COTH that don’t know about it. Good PSA. 
[QUOTE=cutter99;8223338]
You do realize that you can get a reaction from anything foreign you put into any body, right?[/QUOTE]
Yes but there seems to be a much great number of reactions with this product than what you could just brush off as it happens sometimes and fairly consistent to mouth ulcers/swelling there. To the public it sure doesn’t seem they have done much other than put a new warning on the box. But it sure doesn’t seem like they are doing anything to FIX the problem.
I don’t understand how this product in it’s current formulation is still on the market, someone should sue the pants off them in my opinion.
I actually started a thread once suggesting a “pin” or “sticky” for this product. There should be one. Agree with Laurierace. For as long as this has been going on, with painful reactions, I consider Merial (the manufacturer) to be about as cold, callous and greedy as they come.
This was in 2008! http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?171307-Do-we-need-a-No-Zimectrin-Gold-sticky
[QUOTE=Warmblood369;8223361]
Their warning does little to describe the actual reactions and this is only what we can see externally. If a lot of vets don’t recommend using it, we as equine caregivers need to keep it from harming other horses. Do you use it? Be supportive… !! It’s not a suit to gain any monetary compensation other than covering vet bills.[/QUOTE]
No, I don’t use it. I did, years ago, when it was fairly new to the market, and I had zero reactions. But as rumblings have come out about the potential adverse effects, I switched to Equimax, which doesn’t carry these risks. I think it’s crazy that Merial had left the product on the market as is, but it’s easy enough to avoid and reports of these reactions are so easy to turn up with a modicum of due diligence.
Have you spoken with Merial about your veterinary expenses? You may find them willing to cover them with no lawyer or threats necessary.
Although you probably will have a better chance of being taken seriously if you spell the name of the product correctly
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8223473]
I don’t understand how this product in it’s current formulation is still on the market, someone should sue the pants off them in my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Laurie, I can’t either. Every time I see a post like this, I keep asking myself how can this be still happening. It’s been going on for years! Shaking my head.
I reported a reaction to the company years ago and never bought it again. My vet knew exactly what it was as soon as I called her.
[QUOTE=Simkie;8223507]
No, I don’t use it. I did, years ago, when it was fairly new to the market, and I had zero reactions. But as rumblings have come out about the potential adverse effects, I switched to Equimax, which doesn’t carry these risks. I think it’s crazy that Merial had left the product on the market as is, but it’s easy enough to avoid and reports of these reactions are so easy to turn up with a modicum of due diligence.
Have you spoken with Merial about your veterinary expenses? You may find them willing to cover them with no lawyer or threats necessary.
Although you probably will have a better chance of being taken seriously if you spell the name of the product correctly :)[/QUOTE]
My mistake on the spelling but there always has to be “someone” such as yourself who appears to be unable to see the greater picture involved. There are many levels of care offered to our horses. Those who research products to be sure that they are appropriate for our horses and those who trust what is being sold in stores to be safe. This thread is meant to provide a voice and platform for those of us who are willing to unite for the betterment of the horse industry, not as a pessimistic spell check queen. And yes the company has agreed to cover vet expenses in some cases, but it is cheaper to do this than change the formulation. Please do not continue with your negativity. If you have something useful to contribute, I am all ears.
I think it is very, very well established that Merial isn’t going to change the formula. The chance of reaction is small, they are covered with the information in the package insert and they pay out when a horse does have an issue. This has been going on for over 10 years–you think you’re the first one to come to Merial with the threat of a lawsuit?
No, it should not be on the market in this formulation. It is totally ridiculous that they’ve not changed it. But they haven’t, and it is. And it’s really probably not going to go anywhere, even if you DO have very deep pockets and a team of lawyers. Spend your energy in a way that will be useful–petition your local store to stop selling it. Or just print out information from some non-screamy websites about what it can do, and talk to the person who does their ordering. Post something to your local horse FB page. Print up a flier for your local saddle club. Help to educate people about the risks, and ALSO that they can use Equimax safely.
And, seriously, spelling the name of the med correctly will allow more people to run across your info and find out what this stuff can do. This is not a simple nit picky bullshit statement. If I go to facebook and try to find anything related to zimecterin gold, I’m NOT going to turn up your group. If anyone searches COTH looking for zimecterin gold, they’re not going to find this. You will reach MORE PEOPLE if you spell it correctly.
Again Simkie… Thank you for your words of encouragement. The majority of us who have horses don’t have deep pockets nor the money to shell out on vet expenses that are unnecessarily incurred. We do not want to put a band-aid on this, we want change !!
[QUOTE=Warmblood369;8223598]
Again Simkie… Thank you for your words of encouragement. The majority of us who have horses don’t have deep pockets nor the money to shell out on vet expenses that are unnecessarily incurred. We do not want to put a band-aid on this, we want change !![/QUOTE]
While I agree it should be changed, you don’t need deep pockets to buy Equimax instead and be done with it. It is more or less the same price. Keep being the voice of change but protect your horses by not buying it in the meantime.
