ASSESSMENT OF THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A VETERINARY DRUG IN THE TREATMENT OF EQUINE INTESTINAL HELMINTHIASIS

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the new Ivergel antiparasitic veterinary drug against intestinal nematodes in horses under high infestation conditions. The experiment involved two groups of horses (10 animals per group): an experimental group that received the veterinary treatment and a control group that remained untreated. The drug was administered orally at a dose of 1 cm³ per 20 kg of body weight, with a repeated dose given 7 days later. Helminthological examinations were conducted on days 0, 7, 14, and 28, assessing prevalence (P, %) and infestation intensity (II, eggs per gram of feces). At the baseline, all animals were infected (P — 100%, II — 200 eggs/g). On day 7 after the first administration, the experimental group showed a decrease in P to 50% and II to 87 eggs/g, while the control group exhibited minimal changes (P — 98%, II — 193 eggs/g). By day 14, P in the experimental group dropped to 10%, and II to 23 eggs/g. In contrast, the control group remained highly infected (P — 97%, II — 186 eggs/g). On day 28, nearly complete deworming was observed in the treated animals (P — 3%, II — 7 eggs/g), whereas the control group still showed a high level of infection (P — 95%, II — 172 eggs/g). Thus, the Ivergel drug exhibited marked anthelmintic activity. The results confirm its high efficacy and support its implementation in veterinary practice for the deworming of horses affected by nematodosis.