HOW TO DEAL WITH INTERNAL INTERNAL PARASITES

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But (pay attention now) the absolute, number one, main way that animals get worms is through exposure to parasite eggs in the beasts' own manure (and to the small bugs, snails, and slugs that feed on that manure). I can't emphasize this truth too strongly: If your horse, cow, or whatever can smell its own dung, the animal is going to get worms.

All these discouraging facts about parasites should lead you to a couple of basic conclusions. One is that you will NEVER eliminate all worms—or the threat of them—from your pets and livestock. And the other is that you can—and certainly should — do everything within your power to control the pests.

And the best way I know to cut down your parasite population is to consistently follow Dr. Kidd's famous (well, it sure oughta be):

FIVE-POINT PARASITE CONTROL PROGRAM

POINT 1: There is a wealth of wisdom in keeping your critters healthy. A good diet, fresh water, clean shelter, adequate bedding, and a bit of affection now and then will help your animals resist worms, and other diseases as well (just as these same preventive measures work for you).

POINT 2: Graze your grass gracious ly. A pasture rotation plan will protect your livestock from constant exposure to their own droppings ... and, therefore, make the critters a lot less likely to become infested with worms. The wandering quadrupeds will also eat better, which (as I said in Point 1) will help make them more disease and parasite resistant.

POINT 3: Manage your manure. Clean all animal living quarters every day ... and do the job right. As we say around the Kidd barn, if you can't sit in it (the stall, that is), it ain't clean.

POINT 4: Pickle those parasites with the proper parasiticide. Identify your worm problems, then ROUTINELY AND CONSISTENTLY attack them with an effective anthelmintic. Consistency is important ... because the medicine may knock out all the mature worms in one application but leave the larvae unscathed. It takes repeated treatments to catch all the developing "waves" of worms.

POINT 5: Analyze your efforts. Have a veterinarian run fecal checks at least once a year ... two months or more after your last anthelmintic treatment (so the vermicide has had a chance to wear off). What the yet learns-when he or she examines the small, fresh sample droppings you bring—will tell you how well (or how poorly) your treatment attempts are going. The manure test will also let you know exactly which parasites you have to fight in the first place. (By the way, one sample from each kind of animal you raise will be plenty ... you won't need to cart in a collection of the pungent pellets,)

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