Worm counts who does yours?

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Keltic

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Im wanting to get the girls worm counts done, i usually worm them both every time etc but though it might be worth getting one done.
Who is the best company to use? Do i need a sample kit?
When they tell me the results do they give a reccomendation as to what i need to worm with next?

Thanks guys
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I use intelligent worming, they send sample jars when due - last 2 samples came back with no eggs found - they send wormer a few times a year. Horse went to hospital with colic and they asked about worming and they weren't too impressed so they tape wormed him. Not sure if I with continue the program this year although the company have been very good. I think I will worm more frequently and add worm count tests also.
 
I have used Westgate Labs. However, I had a v interesting conversation with my vet about worm counting last Friday - basically because with a horse with gastric issues I was wary about using chemical wormers.

He explained that there are 3 different types of worm count technique, and the one used by the labs which only ask for a small sample is not terribly accurate and has a high rate of false negatives - due to the size of the sample essentially. His feeling was that if you are not using a company which needs a large sample, which is expensive and can only be done in certain specialist analytical labs due to the volume of material needed (i.e. at least one whole poo!), then you are running the risk of getting a false negative and not treating a horse which needs treatment.

I know there are pros and cons to all worming regimes, but it has made me reconsider my approach, because with a horse with gastric issues, although I cannot afford to treat with chemicals unnecessarily, I also cannot afford to let him become wormy. Given he has moved about and come into contact with new horses a lot over the past few months, I am back on a chemical regime for the time being.

Other thing to note is that at this time of year if you worm count and do not worm, you need to either blood test for, or worm for tapeworm, and in December (or thereabouts) you need to worm for encysted redworm.
 
Good point about the encysteds SC.

Yes, to those who are thinking of using worm counts as part of the regime DO remember that you still need to worm for those. I had a blood test done each year to check for tapes although my vet did say that if the horse wasnt moved or didnt come into contact with others that this could go to 18 or 24 months....not sure Id be comfortable with that but its worth checking with your own vets.
 
SC completely agree, mostly because it is thought that worms not only aggregate at the population level but that it is likely that their eggs are aggregated in the faeces. So you should either take a whole poo and stick it in a blender or checking more regularly than normal worming intervals to check.

not sure how much these companies ask for.

If you have a horse with low counts throughout the year then you should have a low encysted problem but IMO not worth not treating for it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
SC completely agree, mostly because it is thought that worms not only aggregate at the population level but that it is likely that their eggs are aggregated in the faeces. So you should either take a whole poo and stick it in a blender or checking more regularly than normal worming intervals to check.

not sure how much these companies ask for.

If you have a horse with low counts throughout the year then you should have a low encysted problem but IMO not worth not treating for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was what the vet said to me - they believe worm eggs aggregate in the dung so the companies which take a small sample get a very high rate of false negatives, which is not something I was aware of. I don't think OH will let me use the blender for that purpose, so for now I am back to good old fashioned chemical wormers, which I had hoped to avoid.
 
well I worked with sheep poo- which is sig smaller so even if you don't mix you are taking a bigger proportion. When I could do my own counts for free I did them regularly now I poo pick and chemicals.
 
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