Evaluation of a marketed polyherbal dewormer against intestinal strongyles in naturally infected donkeys

Abstract

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercially available polyherbal dewormer to control intestinal strongyles in naturally infected donkeys. The animals were allotted to two groups: treated with the herbal dewormer (n=8) according to manufacturer recommendations and untreated control group (n=6). Fecal samples were taken from each animal on days 0 (day of treatment), 14, 21 (day of second additional treatment), 35, and 42. Faecal egg count reduction tests showed very negligible or no reduction in number of strongyle eggs for donkeys in the phytotherapeutic treatment group compared to those in the control group. Thus, the herbal dewormer was mostly ineffective in reducing fecal egg counts in donkeys infected with intestinal strongyles. These findings can make equine practitioners aware of possible disadvantages of herbal dewormers.

Keywords

• donkeys
• intestinal strongyles
• herbal dewormer
• phytotherapy