Worm egg counts
Worm egg counts are an inexpensive, simple way to ensure that your horse is not carrying a large worm burden. The process eliminates the need for regular blanket worming – making the worming experience better for your horse as well as your wallet!
All we need is a small sample of your horse’s droppings – a small handful is plenty. These need to be as fresh as possible and stored in a sealed container or strong plastic bag. The name of the owner and the horse should be clearly written on the container or bag in permanent marker, along with a contact number or email address. Then just pop them into the practice as soon as is convenient for you – If you can’t get the samples to us right away, it’s fine to refrigerate them for up to 24 hours.
In a similar way, we use worm egg counts to determine resistance problems. We suggest a sample is submitted before a worming treatment is given, and again after treatment. High results before worming and low or negative results post worming suggest that the treatment you are using is correct.
Consistently high results before and after treatment suggest that you may be encountering a resistance problem in your yard, and a change in wormer may be needed. Your vet will be able to advise you on this.
