BEVA primary care clinical guidelines: Equine parasite control

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Anthelmintic Resistance

Background:

• Lack of consensus exists on balancing individual horse parasite control with population-level anthelmintic use.
• Anthelmintic resistance is a growing concern, necessitating strategies to preserve drug efficacy.
• Minimizing parasite-associated disease risk in horses requires careful consideration of treatment protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based guidelines for equine parasite control.
• To address the challenge of anthelmintic resistance in horses.
• To provide practical recommendations for veterinarians and horse owners.

Main Methods:

• A modified GRADE framework was utilized.
• A panel of veterinary scientists convened to identify research questions.
• Literature searches were conducted in CAB abstracts and PubMed.
• Evidence was evaluated, and practical guidance was developed where evidence was insufficient.

Main Results:

• Recommendations and practical guidance were formulated for 37 clinically relevant questions.
• Search results from veterinary literature were analyzed.
• The guidelines address equine parasite control strategies.

Conclusions:

• Current equine parasite control recommendations have a weak evidence base.
• Insufficient evidence necessitated the use of expert opinion and extrapolation.
• The developed guidelines aim to reduce parasite-associated disease and delay anthelmintic resistance.