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Diagnostic
Tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what is wrong with your horse, in order to reach a diagnosis.

Cost: Under $100

These cost ranges are approximate and may vary from region to region.
Additional charges may also apply.

YOUR VET MAY PERFORM

Skin Scraping

Cost: Under $100

These cost ranges are approximate and may vary from region to region.
Additional charges may also apply.

Summary

A skin scraping is a relatively simple and quick diagnostic procedure that is primarily used to identify external parasites, skin diseases or in cases of hair loss.

In this procedure, a vet places a drop of a clear, binding oil on the skin, and uses a sharp blade edge to scrape away loose skin and material from the edge of a skin lesion. The oil acts as a binder, trapping the material and sticking it to the slide. The material is placed on a microscope slide and examined for external parasites and other potential causative agents.

Why A Vet Chooses This Diagnostic

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Related Observations

Your vet might choose this diagnostic test if you were making these observations.

Very Common
Less Common
more observations
BENEFITS
Allows identification of external parasites and in some cases, agents like bacteria and fungus.

A simple and quick procedure that is usually performed in-house.

LIMITATIONS

It is easy to miss external parasites using this method if the sample taken does not contain them.

further reading & resources

Author: Doug Thal DVM Dipl. ABVP