Indestructible Tapeworms?

[casportpony]

Here come the questions.
1) Do I give them a 3rd dose of Valbazen? If so, do I give it 5 days apart (today) like the ones before?

I found a studys on using fenbendazole (Safeguard) and albendazole (Valbazen) to treat tapes, but none say to use albendazole 5 days apart. Wormers in this class of de-wormer work best when given several days in a row.

2) If they are somehow resistant to valbazen, what else gets rid of tapeworms? I know that not all wormers are created equal as far as TW goes.

I have only ever treated tapes in cats and dogs, and for them I use praziquantel. If I were going to treat tapes in chickens, this is what I would use:

Equimax Paste for horses. Dose is 0.03 ml per pound orally and repeat in 10 days (6 pound bird would get ~0.2 ml, which is 1/5 ml).

One can also use Zimectrin Gold, but you have to use much more of it, so it ends up being more expensive. Dose is 0.06 ml per pound orally and repeat in 10 days (6 pound bird would get ~0.35 ml).

 

[Kaitlynf910]

WOW REALLY?! So I’ve been doing this wrong the whole time? I’ll go with the Equimax then.

I found a studys on using fenbendazole (Safeguard) and albendazole (Valbazen) to treat tapes, but none say to use albendazole 5 days apart. Wormers in this class of de-wormer work best when given several days in a row.


I have only ever treated tapes in cats and dogs, and for them I use praziquantel. If I were going to treat tapes in chickens, this is what I would use:

 

[Kaitlynf910]

I’m definitely going with the equimax. And these ants...sweet Jesus are they a pain. I’ve never had so much trouble getting rid of ants.

And about the whole tape worm detaching thing...that’s not what it was when I saw like 20 tape segments on top and inside one of the poops is it?

Not with tapeworm proglottids. When you see them in feces, moving or not, it simply means they've detached from one of many segments attached to the tapeworm. It means the whole tapeworm is intact inside the chicken...kinda like the creature in the "Alien" movies. So, you have to kill the "Alien" in order to stop the segments in feces, moving or not.

Once you kill the tapeworm, the 'Alien,' detaches from the intestinal lining or wherever others are located in the chickens system. THEN you might see bits and pieces of the tapeworm excreted in feces, and you'll know it. The bits and pieces come in all shapes and sizes. I've seen flat pieces, some flat and segmented pieces, long length stringy jellyfish looking pieces, whole pieces. There are also times when you might not see bits and pieces because they have been digested in the into the chickens system. Once you see any of this, you'll know your bird is tapeworm free until they eat another infected insect like you mentioned.

Valbazen has been losing its effectiveness in treating tapeworms. I've mentioned this before in other threads. Equimax equine paste containing paraziquantel will kill tapes, redose in 10 days.
Like you've mentioned with your excellent advice, it's best to try to eliminate/control the cause; infected insects. Moving birds to a different foraging area might help while treating the previous foraging area. Ants can be killed with Sevin dust or spray as well as other insects, same with Permethrin. For fire ant mounds I prefer Sevin dust. It doesnt kill the queen but they move elsewhere out of the foraging area, hopefully.

 

[Kiki]

What area of Houston are you in?
Are you staying dry today?

 

[Kaitlynf910]

So based on everything I’ve gathered from y’all’s advice...
1) I maybe should have done 3 days in a row of valbazen instead of 5 days apart? I don’t know how I got that SO wrong from so many different sources. But it explains why it didnt work. And I suppose it’s too late to do it differently now.
2) Equimax is apparently the way to go. So I’m going to get some of that and do it.

This tropical storm Imelda that has hammered us today, has put things at a stand still. I’m in one of the hardest hit parts. Not only is the flooding preventing me from going ANYWHERE that would have the equimax. But it has also completely ruined the work I did on my coop. It’s covered and on a hill, but the wind was blowing the rain sideways for 6 hours straight last night. And it’s still raining. I had to put everyone together in the isolation pen and rain proof it just so they could stay off the ground, dry off and eat dry food. The coop is officially a mud pit (and prob crawling with bacteria) and the food they had was soup. Hoping nobody gets sick. But it’s just a bad situation all around until things dry up.

But when I get the equimax...let me make sure I have this right.

Fasting for 24 hrs before.
.03 ml per lb orally
Do again in 10 days.

Correct?

 

[Kaitlynf910]

No. Definitely not dry. We are soaked. I’ve spent hours in the rain and flood water today just trying to accommodate the animals. It’s a mess out here.

What area of Houston are you in?
Are you staying dry today?

 

[Kiki]

So based on everything I’ve gathered from y’all’s advice...
1) I maybe should have done 3 days in a row of valbazen instead of 5 days apart? I don’t know how I got that SO wrong from so many different sources. But it explains why it didnt work. And I suppose it’s too late to do it differently now.
2) Equimax is apparently the way to go. So I’m going to get some of that and do it.

This tropical storm Imelda that has hammered us today, has put things at a stand still. I’m in one of the hardest hit parts. Not only is the flooding preventing me from going ANYWHERE that would have the equimax. But it has also completely ruined the work I did on my coop. It’s covered and on a hill, but the wind was blowing the rain sideways for 6 hours straight last night. And it’s still raining. I had to put everyone together in the isolation pen and rain proof it just so they could stay off the ground, dry off and eat dry food. The coop is officially a mud pit (and prob crawling with bacteria) and the food they had was soup. Hoping nobody gets sick. But it’s just a bad situation all around until things dry up.

But when I get the equimax...let me make sure I have this right.

Fasting for 24 hrs before.
.03 ml per lb orally
Do again in 10 days.

Correct?

Yes...on the Equimax.

I don't think the medicine you were using will do anything for tapes.

 

[Kiki]

No. Definitely not dry. We are soaked. I’ve spent hours in the rain and flood water today just trying to accommodate the animals. It’s a mess out here.

I feel your pain.
I'm here too.

 

[Kaitlynf910]

We are in one of the hardest hit parts but we were hit hard early today. Right now the worst is more southeast of us. So now it’s just trying to fix what I can til the water drains.

What area of Houston are you in?
Are you staying dry today?

 

[Morrigan]

Sorry you are dealing with lousy weather on top of everything. That just stinks.

I hope the EquiMax works for you. Most people discard eggs for 14 days after treating with it, just in case your birds start laying in the next few weeks.