Please be aware of post disruption due to the two Easter bank holidays. Please don’t post your samples after Monday 25th March to ensure you receive your results before the Easter weekend. Otherwise samples may get held up in the Royal Mail sorting office and become too old to test.
*****Buy Multiple Kits Save £££ - 12 Months Supply No Expiry, so buy your worm counts for the whole year and save £££****
Lab Equine are passionate horse owners that know how important it is to keep our horses and ponies healthy, whether it is a happy hacker or a competition horse. We are dedicated in helping our customers sort out their worming problems and offering 100% customer satisfaction creating a best practice worming program for their horses and ponies.
Equine
Worm and Egg Count Kits have been around for over 15 years, not
many people knew anything about testing for worms. A few people had
tests done by their vet, but the typical worm control program
consisted of giving a variation of wormer doses
throughout the year, whether the horse needed them or not.
Nowadays, testing for worms and only treating the horse if it is needed has become a popular best practice that vets and even wormer distributors support.
What's in the box!
Single Equine Worm Count Kit:
Gloves
Instruction Sheet
Return Stamped Addressed Envelope (only one per order)
Sample Pouch
Including Free Fast postage Both ways!
Free Advice and lots more info on: www.labequine.co.uk
FAQ
Find out how easy it is to do a worm egg count and run an efficient worming programme using only the wormers your horse really needs.
What is a worm count?
A worm count is really a worm egg count (also known as a faecal egg count). A small sample of horse manure (about a desert spoon full) is prepared and mixed into a solution of Zinc Sulphate examined under the microscope to find out how many worm eggs are present. You cannot see them with the naked eye. We test each sample twice to determine the egg count.
By using this method to measure your horses worm burden. It might be the case that he may not have worms at all. He may have many more than expected. Use the results to devise your worming program. A worm count will allow you to treat your horse’s worm control in a knowledgeable way.
What Next?
Whatever worming programme you follow a
worm count should be a vital part of your approach, here’s how:
Here we answer some of your common questions.
Why should I use worm egg counts in my worming programme?
If
you are using a full programme you can make sure it is effective. In
many cases you will be able to replace some wormer doses with counts,
cutting down on the amount of chemicals going into your horse and out
onto the pasture. You can target the correct wormers at the horse who
needs them instead of wasting and guessing the doses on horses that
may not need worming in the first place.
I’ve heard that worm egg counts don’t show all the worms
though?
That is quite correct. Nevertheless a worm count is
still a very useful tool. Encysted stages of redworm are not mature
so don’t lay the eggs which are counted in the manure sample. It is
important to treat with an effective product in the winter months
then you can rely on your worm count results over the next season.
Tapeworm eggs often appear in dung samples but a worm egg count is
not reliable for detecting tapeworm.
I’m unsure whether to give up regular worming, I’d rather be
safe than sorry.
Following a complicated and
expensive worming programme does not guarantee that your horse will
be free of worms. We test many horses that have been on worming
programmes and still have medium or high worm count results.
Increased resistance to some wormers means that they may not be
effective for your horse. This can only get poorer in years to come
and there are no new worming drugs. Regular worm counts can establish
parasite problems, sometimes only affecting one horse in a herd, so
they can be accurately treated.
Isn’t it complicated to do?
Not at all! We provide a
step by step guide that will make it easy to follow!
More and more people are using this system for health and economical reasons!
Is it expensive?
This is an important question. The main
aim of using a worm count programme is to have a healthier horse with
a well managed worming regime but one of the other benefits is that
it is usually a cheaper option. Most people save money on worming by
using a targeted programme. When you first start there may be a
period when you need to both count and give a wormer for instance
when a horse proves to have a parasite problem. Using tests means
that the problem is recognised and treated accordingly.
Results…
We aim to test the manure samples on the day they arrive and your results can be sent by text or email whichever you choose.
What does my result mean?
For each horse on the
result sheet there will be a number indicating the level of worm eggs
found. The sign < means ‘less than’, so a result of <50 epg
means that we could find no trace of worm eggs when the sample was
tested. (epg means ‘eggs per gram’). If you are following a
reduced worming programme you will not need to worm at this level.
It is very common for a result to come back as <50 epg no eggs seen.
If the count is less than 250 epg then it is a LOW count and your worming measures are working. If you are following a reduced worming plan you may still want to delay the next dose at this level.
If the count is between 250 epg and 1200 epg it is a MEDIUM count and the horse needs worming.
If the count is more than 1200 epg it is a HIGH count, the horse needs worming and the worming programme needs attention.
Which worms are covered by the test?
Usually your result
will say STRONGYLE EGGS. This is redworm, the most common parasite
that affects horses.
We may find TAPEWORM EGGS, though these don’t always show on a count. Your horse could still have tapeworm even if no eggs are seen. We may find ASCARIDS. This is roundworm, usually only a problem in foals and previously neglected horses.
Disclaimer:
Please note free postage is included for the pack size to be returned in one package. We test Mon-Fri please send your samples back Mon-Wed to assure they arrive before the weekend.
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR HORSE'S CONDITION, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR VET
ORDER NOW!!