Can Wormer Go Bad?

[HogWild]

How long will wormer in a syringe keep before it goes bad? Can warm/hot temps make it go bad? For example, left in the truck in the summer for several weeks or left in the barn during the sumer heat? If it goes bad, I assume it will not kill the worms or is the only risk possibly making your horse sick?

Appreciate a little info.

[vicklynn]

I dont know, never had it left outside my home. I keep mine indoors. It should have a date on it.
It should tell you on the package about storing it too. If your concerned, Id ask your vet.

[WashingtonBay]

Ditto... read the package... it probably gives advisories.

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

How long will wormer in a syringe keep before it goes bad? Can warm/hot temps make it go bad? For example, left in the truck in the summer for several weeks or left in the barn during the sumer heat? If it goes bad, I assume it will not kill the worms or is the only risk possibly making your horse sick?

Appreciate a little info.

It can go bad. It can't be stored under and/or over a certain temp. And it does have an expiration date. Just like any medicines, I suppose, the chemical content will change.

[Cat]

Its suppose to be stored at room temp - between 68 and 77 degrees for most wormers. To hot or to cold can make the ingredients inactive. There is also a chance of it making your horse sick, I suppose, but not sure on that part.

[HogWild]

I ask these questions because our horse Trigger doesn't look just right to me and I' wondering if he could be wormy. I wormed him about 1 month ago but the wormer had been sitting in my shop for awhile and before that had sit in my truck for a few weeks. I don't have a way to go back and review the storage instructions. I did check that the wormer wasn't out of date.

Shouldn't hurt if I buy fresh wormer and worm him again would it? I need to worm our new horse anyhow.

[westmanfarrier]

Take a fecal sample to your vet. Not too expensive and will give you an idea of what's going on.

Even with a regular worming program our horse showed small strongyles in a fecal sample.

[WashingtonBay]

Good advice Westman.... I kindof wormed in the blind for years and never really knew if they had what I was worming for or if I was even doing a good job of getting them. Now I take fecals in a few times a year and worm them for what they actually have, if anything.

It's only a few bucks to have them check, if they charge at all. My vet usually doesn't, if I'm there spending money on something else.

[Ryle]

Yep, if it was left in a hot vehicle it could definitely have been useless or at least less effective at removing parasites. Dewormers need to be kept at moderate temperatures to maintain their effectiveness.

It's time to get away from the old "deworm every 6-8 weeks, rotating dewormers" program because it's often not effective and is helping to build parasite resistance because many people are deworming much more frequently than necessary. Strategic deworming is a better plan. I would recommend that everyone check out the Strategic Deworming webinar available free through The Horse magazine:
http://www.thehorse.com/Video.aspx?vID=18