A zero (0) fecal egg count test sometimes called a clear result is not uncommon among horses. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Parasite Control Guidelines states that up to 75% of the horse population are low shedders which include zero egg count results.
Your pasture could be a parasite minefield. Fecal egg count tests are a great way to identify the type and number of parasites that may be lurking inside your horse but what happens to all the parasites your horse is shedding onto your pasture? This blog describes how to calculate how many parasites are on your pasture and what you can do to control them.
Fecal egg count reduction tests are used to gauge parasite resistance to dewormers on your property. Resistance occurs when the same amount of the same dewormer you used to use, does not control the same parasites at the same time of year as it used to (try saying that fast three time.)Finding out if the parasites you are targeting to control have developed resistance to the dewormer you are usin
Ivermectin as an over-the-counter (OTC) chemical dewormer indicated for controlling parasites in horses. Left untreated, parasites cause inflammation, ulcers and damage your horse’s intestinal lining. Also, certain types of parasites are thought to contribute to colic, anemia, and nutritional deficiencies.
The FDA has requested that drug companies add information about antiparasitic resistance to both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription dewormers (e.g., ivermectin).
Equine fecal egg count test tells you what type and how many parasites are potentially inside your horse’s digestive tract. Horse fecal egg count tests are reported in eggs per gram which can be used to classify horses into low, medium and high shedders.
Welcome to the Controlling Parasites in Your Horse blog. This entry discusses why the blog was started, what was the motivation for the blog and why on earth would anybody write about fecal egg count testing.
