Zimectrin Gold Causing Reactions

Veterinary, horse care, and training issues.

Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster, madelyn

LKR
Allowance Winner
Posts: 295
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 8:15 pm
Location: George, Washington
Contact:

Zimectrin Gold Causing Reactions

Postby LKR » Thu May 10, 2012 11:57 am

A friend just stopped by who has had an older horse have a bout with something about a month ago. He dropped weight, looked like he was going to die on her. She has been barrel racing him and he had a colicky episode at one of them. Vet treated for colic, but he took two weeks to come out of the whole thing. Now he is back running as good as ever. She got a notice on facebook that horses have been having reactions to Zimmectrin Gold and sure enough, she had wormed him with it a few days before he got sick. She is wondering if that might have caused it. Just wondered if anyone has heard that there might be horses having reactions to that product?
Kathie King
Little King Ranch
Home Of Top Account
Basket Weave
And The Buzz Horses

casallc
Restricted Stakes Winner
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Postby casallc » Thu May 10, 2012 12:23 pm

I would seriously doubt it was the wormer but there is a warning about rare cases of irritation of the mouth and lips on the package.

If you like to place blame - here you go:
http://treato.com/Zimecterin+Gold/?a=s

The stuff is made in Brazil so no telling.
There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.
- Alexis de Tocqueville

Laurierace
Grade II Winner
Posts: 1277
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:14 am

Postby Laurierace » Thu May 10, 2012 5:59 pm

The reactions to Zimectrin Gold are in the form of oral ulcers. I have no idea why it is still on the market but it seems unlikely to have been the cause of the horse's problems. It could have been from the die off however.

User avatar
madelyn
Moderator
Posts: 10049
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:53 pm
Location: Louisville, KY

Postby madelyn » Thu May 10, 2012 7:47 pm

There have been some horses who have developed liver problems as a reaction to the praziquantel in the wormers that contain that. It can result in weight loss and illness.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

LKR
Allowance Winner
Posts: 295
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 8:15 pm
Location: George, Washington
Contact:

Postby LKR » Fri May 11, 2012 5:23 am

When we were talking yesterday, she wondered if it might have been due to a die off of worms. He is wormed regularly but she gives the z-gold in the spring. I know that the quest wormer was causing liver problems in some horses years ago and it was cautioned not to give it to thin horses or something like that. He is recuperated and ran the fastest barrel pattern of the weekend last week.
Kathie King

Little King Ranch

Home Of Top Account

Basket Weave

And The Buzz Horses

Skipitgirl
Restricted Stakes Winner
Posts: 905
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 3:57 pm
Location: Ohio

Postby Skipitgirl » Fri May 11, 2012 7:11 am

Ive never used Zimectrin Gold simply from seeing a horse react to it while riding with my vet a few years ago. She said it wasnt the first time she had seen horses react badly to it. She wouldnt worm her horses with it so neither will I.

User avatar
madelyn
Moderator
Posts: 10049
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:53 pm
Location: Louisville, KY

Postby madelyn » Fri May 11, 2012 8:21 am

It's one of those risk evaluation things.. I use wormers like these, but with the following caveats:

praziquantel kills tapeworms. But so does a double dose of pyrantel pamoate without side effects. So I skip the prazi and go for 2x pyrpam...

Moxidectin kills encysted small strongyles. The only other way I know of to kill those little demons is to power pack. I will use this on a case by case basis - it is good if the horse is in great shape otherwise but has not been wormed in sufficient time (I worm every second month) that there might be a backup of the encysted worms. Since moxidectin kills them by paralyzing the nerve system it is actually somewhat safer in a horse who is otherwise in really good shape. Because it is stored in the fat cells it is NOT for a thin horse who does not have well populated fat cells. Power pack kills off the mature ones, allowing the encysted ones to mature. So if you hit the horse with that for five days, you push a lot of them out...
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

griff
Leading Sire
Posts: 3519
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:18 pm
Location: Yorktown, VA

Postby griff » Fri May 11, 2012 11:17 am

I think Z-Gold and EquiMax is the same stuff but the dosage is higher in the EquiMax.

Both kill tape worms and if you kill enough tape worms the dead worms my clog the horses gut. My Vet says this is a real problem with weanlings that have not been kept clean or near clean. Or have never been wormed with anything that kills tape worms.

A friend of mine lost a 6 month old Not For Love filly and the New Bolton autopsy found a wade of dead tape worms in her gut.

Many of my friends think EquiMax is too strong to use on new borns but Northview uses it and letting the tapeworms get out of control is probably more dangerous .

griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]

User avatar
madelyn
Moderator
Posts: 10049
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:53 pm
Location: Louisville, KY

Postby madelyn » Fri May 11, 2012 12:12 pm

That's pretty wild. Tapeworms are very seldom found in horses younger than 9 months..

They are not transmitted from the mare, like a few others. They can only be picked up through grazing.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

griff
Leading Sire
Posts: 3519
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:18 pm
Location: Yorktown, VA

Postby griff » Fri May 11, 2012 12:27 pm

It was New Bolton that found the wad of dead tape worms in that filly.

And, I don't understand why tapeworms are seldom found in young horses if they can be transmitted by the mare and by grazing..

Again, I asked Northview for a copy of their newborn worming schedule and it contained a dose of EquiMax And Northview, which I believe is owned by a couple of sierra hotel Vets, has an excellent reputation here in the Mid-Atlantic

Also, I will take your recommendation and substitute Strongid [pyrantl pamoate] past for equimax with all newborn and weanlings in the future. I know you have posted this info before but I needed this reminder.

thanks again

griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]

User avatar
Jessi P
Moderator
Posts: 1347
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:37 am

Postby Jessi P » Fri May 11, 2012 12:41 pm

I saw a facebook post a week or so ago about horses with swollen mouth/oral mucosa and drooling after being wormed with Zimectrin Gold. I believe it was posted by a gal in Texas who stated that 9 of 14 horses wormed with the product were affected. When she called Merial apparently they told her not to use that product on those horses again.

Take it FWIW - could be facebook nonsense, but there was a pic of a swollen mouth shown with the post.
Jessi P
330 383 1281
[email protected]

griff
Leading Sire
Posts: 3519
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:18 pm
Location: Yorktown, VA

Postby griff » Fri May 11, 2012 12:57 pm

I wonder if the problem is associated only with Z-Gold and not EquiMax.

Also wonder why a company would tell you not to use one of their products and not issue a recall,

????

griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]

User avatar
madelyn
Moderator
Posts: 10049
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:53 pm
Location: Louisville, KY

Postby madelyn » Fri May 11, 2012 7:13 pm

There was quite a long time that Quest Plus was pulled off the market. There was no recall or announcement.

What I stated above was that tapeworms are NOT transmitted by the mare and can ONLY be ingested by grazing.

Another caveat is that the double dose of pyrantel pamoate should not be used on pregnant mares.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

Laurierace
Grade II Winner
Posts: 1277
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:14 am

Postby Laurierace » Sat May 12, 2012 4:51 am

Quest Plus was never pulled off the market, it was just backordered.

griff
Leading Sire
Posts: 3519
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:18 pm
Location: Yorktown, VA

Postby griff » Sat May 12, 2012 5:04 am

We give our mares a dose of EquiMax as soon as they foal, not before.

What is, or was, the problem with Quest Plus. I've used it on 2 YO and 3 YO with what I thought was good success but certainly will cease if there is a problem.

griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]