I have a ten month old goldie puppy who is very partial to rolling and eating horse droppings, despite my best efforts to stop him :).  I know this is a puppy thing (which sometimes goes on for some time :)) and it has never previously worried me but recently I have been told that if the horse has been wormed, the droppings can be extremely toxic, even lethal to dogs.

Can anyone tell me how high the risk of illness is likely to be and whether this affects specific dog breeds?  I would also like to know why the manufacturers of the horse wormers are allowed to market a product which when excreted can be lethal to dogs, as in rural surroundings, horses and dogs are frequently exercised in the same places.

Horse wormers are extremely dangerous  to dogs if taken orally.......... having owned horses and dogs................. .always made sure I have desposed of the syringe containing the wormers  properly..and made sure dogs can never get to them, because if it is digestesed it can kill a dog.............. as for eating the poo of a  resently wormed horse............not heard that one before, one of my dogs loves horse muck.....will eat it all if he can.............The trouble is a horse wieghs 1/2 ton  and a dog can weigh up to 10 st...... so the difference in weight dictates the amount of dosage???????????

Surely it would depend on the product used, and Panacur is exactly the same whether it is for cows, sheep or horse, or dogs and cats, except the container size and price.

Unless it is a prodcut containing Ivermectin which can be lethal to collie tryp breeds then I would think the amount found in soem manure woudl be too small to cause any harm.

I have various freinds and puppy owners with horses and all the dogs enjoy the manure without a problem????

I suspect that some Champdoggers may have used Panacur 10% suspension for their puppies, though in greatly differing doses to the horseowners who are sold it as Panacur Equine Guard - so the blanket statement that "horsewormers kill dogs" would be rather alarmist.

Drugs, even those purchased over the counter, should always be handled with care.  Syringes should be stored and disposed of safely, as has already been pointed out.

However, I think the drug in question here is ivermectin.

With regard to the poo eating issue - I have no idea of how much of a risk this is.   Therefore, I will continue to discourage my dogs from snacking on the vast amounts of horse poo that has appeared since the better weather and lighter nights :-) but I don't think I'll be losing any sleep over it as I know of so many dogs left to their own devices around stables and farms (yes, they worm cattle and sheep too!) and by the far the greatest danger seems to be rat poison and slug pellets.

Sorry Brainless, your post was not there when I started my master work.

i have horses and am aware that all wormers should be kept out dogs way as dangerous if wormer is swallowed....certainly not aware of any problem of dogs eating horse dung after a horse has been wormed...
The yard owners dogs are running loose all the time and there hasnt been a problem...

I have a friend whose dog nearly died after eating horse manure when the horses had been recently wormed, it was only a little Papillon & I think it did eat quite a lot, her other 2 dogs were ill but soon recovered.
Have to admit my dogs have always indulged without ill effects, But it's usually only a quick scoop as they go past

Collies are paticuarly suceptable to ivermectin.  I have horses and dogs and my dogs like snacking on horse poo but I won't let them anywhere near it for a week after the horses have been wormed as yes it can be very dangerous to all breeds.
But did you also know horse poo can stimulate a dogs poor appetite.  Just obviously make sure it is not poo from a recently wormed horse.

Bev

I suspect it helps a dogs digestion containing enzymes lacking in their sterile diets.

All my dogs have regularly ingested horse droppings from 7 weeks old with no ill effects. They are exercised very regularly on a gallops!!!! :D

Can be very beneficial to dogs but of course could be an issue to some. 

If you are worried, exercise your dog else where, teach your dogs not to eat it.

Lots of things can be lethal to dogs including onions and chocolates, it is up to owners to protect the dogs from these dangers, not for others to stop selling it...........

Thank you all for your replies - sounds like I have been worrying too much :).  Re those of you who have suggested I make sure the poo isn't from a recently wormed horse, I walk my dog on National Trust downland where horses are also regularly exercised and have no way of knowing which horses have recently been wormed :(.  Do you horse owners know if your horses are normally confined for a short period after worming?  As for walking elsewhere, I have limited choices and this is by far the best and safest place to walk him.  tohme, the point I was making was that I would have thought that it would be a regulatory thing that drug manufacturers had to ensure that their drugs would not have serious effects on any animal eating the droppings, not that I shouldn't train my dog to leave them :).

Some people keep their horses in for 36 hours after worming. I don't worm, i poo pick and test :)

That's good to know, thanks Chloe.

Unless your dog is one of those that are likely to have a problem with Ivermectin, the amount eaten and left in the dropping is likely to be too low to affect your dog, unless all the horses were wormed that day and your dog eats loads and loads of manure.

Wehn bitches have pups they still eat all theri pups faeces when first wormed and in a big litter that would probably equal her own dose, yet the bitches are still dosed as well and have never had a problem.

Thanks Brainless, that is reassuring.  Is it just Collie breeds which are badly affected by Ivermectin?

As far as I know yes, and Lancashire heelers it seems.

Thanks :)