Parasites are a major threat to the health, strength and vitality of every horse. Typically, horses are dewormed every few months and owners watch carefully for the outward signs of parasite infestation-- a dull hair coat, poor appetite and parasites in the manure. While horse owners diligently pay attention to all these signs, all too often the unseen, internal damage caused by parasites is missed—damage that goes unchecked between doses of purge dewormers.

After a traditional purge dewormer is administered, horses can become reinfested with parasites within just two days. Between dewormings, harmful larvae can migrate through the horse’s internal organs—causing damage to vital tissues such as the liver and the lungs. Even a negative fecal egg count can be misleading—it only indicates the absence of egg laying, adult parasites in the intestinal tract. Negative fecal egg counts reveal nothing about ingested parasites, migrating parasites or immature parasites. This means parasites may have months to cause subclinical damage, robbing horses of their good health and performance. They may cost days of lost training time; time trainers can never get back.

Strongid C© and Strongid C© 2X™, made by Pfizer Animal Health, are safe and highly effective ways to protect horses daily from parasites; before they have a chance to do damage. Horses protected from parasitic infection enjoy improved health and condition, which may lead to a reduced incidence of colic and foal pneumonia, and less need for products such as coat conditioners.

Whether your horse is a proven champion or simply the apple of your eye, Strongid C© and Strongid C© 2X™ can help you discover your horse’s full potential. Fed daily, Strongid C© and Strongid C© 2X™ protect horses by killing parasites before they migrate—before they can impair your horse’s health and performance. After all, keeping horses healthy and in great condition is a top priority for every horse owner. That’s why, along with the protection offered by Strongid C© and Strongid C© 2X™, Pfizer Animal Health offers Preventicare™-- a unique, veterinary-assisted equine wellness program.

Preventicare™ endorses the value of preventative medicine to help promote good health and avert life threatening or debilitating problems. The program fosters a partnership between the horse owner and their veterinarian—who each year provides the six fundamental services required by Preventicare™. These include an annual physical exam, an annual dental exam and treatment, appropriate immunizations, a twice yearly treatment with either Equell™ or Equimax™, nutritional counseling and daily use of Strongid C© and Strongid C© 2X™.

In order to participate in Preventicare™, owners must enroll and purchase their Strongid C© or Strongid C© 2X™ through their veterinarian. All horses must have their enrollment renewed each year.

Preventicare’s Colic Assistance Plan™ is an added benefit to the program. If a horse enrolled in Preventicare™ requires colic surgery, Pfizer Animal Health will reimburse the operating surgeon for surgical costs and three days of aftercare, up to $5,000.

“We began Preventicare™ because we have confidence in the value of a veterinarian-assisted equine wellness program,” said Dan Kramer, Pfizer’s Equine Product Manager. “Preventicare permits us to help maintain good health for all horses by fostering a relationship between the horse owner and the veterinarian that goes beyond routine immunizations and emergency visits,” he added.

Since the launch of Preventicare™ in March of 1997, thousands of horses have benefited from this program, with an emphasis on prevention. Hundreds of horses have been able to receive life-saving colic surgeries thanks to Preventicare’s Colic Assistance Plan™. At Durango Equine, we have only sent three horses to surgery since 1998 who were on this program. This is proof to us that daily Strongid C works as a colic preventative. All three surgeries were paid for up to $5,000 by Pfizer without a hitch. The doctors and staff at Durango Equine practice what we preach. All of our horses are also on Strongid C daily dewormer and enrolled in the Preventicare Program. To learn more about how Preventicare can benefit you, ask your veterinarian at Durango Equine Veterinary Clinic.