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Researchers Need Horse Owners' Help with Parasite Survey

Release: June 29 2009

Author: severs

Courtesy The Horse Staff

Horse owners around the world are being asked to participate in an online questionnaire to help researchers better assess the issues of parasite control and anthelmintic (dewormer) resistance. The study is part of a collaborative effort between equine parasitologists in the United Sates, Denmark, and Germany.

Horse owners can find the survey at survey.2ask.de/71d74fafbf0c4562/survey.html.

Topics include parasite control strategies, drug resistance, factors behind parasite control decisions, veterinary involvement, and selective treatment.

"This survey compares U.S. horse owners with Danes and Germans," explained Martin K. Nielsen, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. "Are they really different? Nobody knows, but my prediction is that horse owners are much alike.

"Treatment regulations are much different between the countries, but how well informed on parasite issues are horse owners in the three countries?" he asked.

Answering the complete survey takes about 20 minutes. Respondents are asked to answer spontaneously--there are no right or wrong answers, and the organizers ask for your honest personal opinions. Most of the questions are based on a multiple choice format, through which you can click on the alternative that is closest to your opinion. (Some questions might seem to be similar but are not exactly the same. Therefore, please answer all the questions since this is crucial to the success of this study.)

Project organizers include Nielsen, Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD, Dipl. EVPC, an associate professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine; and Anne Becher, DVM, of Ludwigs-Maximillian University in Munich, Germany.

"Recent advances in our medical and scientific knowledge regarding parasite control in horses make it important for us to know more about current practices and attitudes of horses owners concerning parasites," Kaplan reiterated.

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