Very Common
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Skill
Procedures that you should be able to competently and safely perform on a horse.
LEARN HOW TO
Collect Manure Sample for Fecal Testing
Summary
Testing your horse's manure for parasites is a critical part of a targeted parasite control program. Targeted parasite control addresses the growing problem of parasite resistance and puts fewer chemicals into the environment.
Your vet performs the testing, either in their in-house laboratory or by sending the samples out to a lab. You can expect results in 1-5 days.
Your role is to properly collect the sample and provide it to your vet, on a schedule that you and your vet have worked out and that makes sense from the standpoint of parasite biology.
Your vet performs the testing, either in their in-house laboratory or by sending the samples out to a lab. You can expect results in 1-5 days.
Your role is to properly collect the sample and provide it to your vet, on a schedule that you and your vet have worked out and that makes sense from the standpoint of parasite biology.
PROCEDURE
PROCEDURE
Select the freshest manure sample you can find. Ideally the sample is only minutes old. Be sure you know what horse it is from if multiple horses are stabled together. Collect a single fecal ball from the top of the pile using a gloved hand or a plastic bag. Place the sample in a small zip-loc sandwich bag. Squeeze all the air out of the plastic bag and zip it closed.
Label the bag with a permanent marker with your name, your horse's name, collection date and time. Put it in the refrigerator and deliver it to your vet for testing within 12-24 hours of collection.
TIPS FOR SAFETY AND SUCCESS
Removing the air from the sample deprives the developing eggs of oxygen and stops them from hatching. Once they have hatched, they cannot be counted. We recommend the sample be taken at least 3 months after deworming, or 4 months after deworming with a Quest (moxidectin) compound. Otherwise there is still effect from the prior deworming that complicates the results.
If horses are on a continuous wormer like pyrantel tartrate (Strongid-C), they can be tested anytime.
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Written, reviewed or shared by experts in equine health