A Survey of Control Strategies for Equine Small Strongyles in Lithuania

Anthelmintic resistance (AR) in equine cyathostomins is being reported all over the world. In Lithuania, however, the last study on this subject was published more than fifteen years ago, thus little is known about the current situation. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that may associated with the development of AR on equine studs in Lithuania. A questionnaire containing seven open-ended and nine closed multiple-choice questions about worm control strategies, use of anthelmintic substances and stable management practices was posted to 71 randomly selected horse establishments in Lithuania. Replies were obtained from a total of 59 stables, representing 83 % of officially established stud farms in Lithuania. The results showed that more than 80 % of these establishments performed pasture management practices such as excrement removal from stables and pasture, 56 % mowed their pasture, 31 % practised mixed or rotational grazing with other species, and 97 % of the horses were routinely dewormed. Macrocyclic lactones (ML) (58 %, n=33) were the most commonly used drugs, followed by benzimidazoles (BZ) (24 %, n=14) and tetrahydropyrimidines (THP) (19 %, n=10). The majority of farms (60 %) treated horses four times per year and 68 % estimated the weight of the horses by eye before treatment. About 36 % of respondents had heard of faecal egg counts (FEC), but only 17 % used the test and as few as 9 % had tested their herds for AR with faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT). The results demonstrate that there is scope for improving routines for worm control in many horse establishments in Lithuania. In order to increase knowledge and reduce the risk of the spread of AR, diagnostic methods should be adopted in a collaboration between stud farms and veterinary practitioners.