Internal Care
The kit can be used to test the following animals: horses, dogs, cats, large and small livestock, rodents, birds, and reptiles.
Shipping to the Ghent laboratory is free from Belgium and France; postage is required.
Routine deworming 3 to 4 times a year can lead to parasite resistance.
Preliminary analysis avoids indiscriminate deworming and unnecessary damage to the microbiota.
Reasonable deworming protects the environment and coprophagous animals.
The manure sample will be examined by our certified partner: the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Merelbeke (Ghent University).
The following are analyzed: strongyles, roundworms, roundworms, tapeworms, tapeworms, foalworms (Strongyloides westeri), and threadworms.
Vital Herbs Kit Coproscopie
- The kit includes a glove, a resealable bag, a manual/form to fill out, and a prepaid envelope.
- Return shipping is included in the price for Belgium.
- For France, stamps must be paid at your local post office (untracked up to 100g: €4.15, tracked €6.95).
1: Using the glove, collect a fresh droppings sample (3 cm in diameter). Ensure the droppings sample does not come into contact with the ground. Collect the freshest droppings possible.
2: Close the glove and place it in the resealable bag.
3: Insert the filled glove and the fully completed form into the envelope and seal it. The envelope does not require stamping; shipping is free and included in the price from Belgium. From France, stamping is required.
4: Send the envelope by mail the same day to our partner, the Merelbeke Veterinary Laboratory, Ghent University. Avoid sending your sample on a Friday.
STEP 5: The results will be sent to you by email. This takes approximately 1 to 5 business days. The kit can be used to test the following animals: horses, dogs, cats, large and small livestock, rodents, birds and reptiles.
Why Perform a Fecal Smear Exam?
Fecal smear examination is a diagnostic method used to analyze horse feces to detect the presence of intestinal parasites. Performing a fecal smear examination on a horse has several advantages and plays a crucial role in parasite health management. Here are the main reasons why fecal smear examination is recommended:
1. Parasite Load Assessment:
Parasite Detection: Fecal smear examination identifies the types and numbers of parasites present in the horse's intestine by detecting eggs or larvae in the feces. Common parasites detected include strongyles, roundworms, and threadworms.
Quantification: By determining the number of eggs per gram of feces (OPG), fecal smear examination provides an estimate of the parasite load. This helps understand the extent of the infestation and allows for informed decisions regarding the necessary treatment. 2. Personalized Parasite Treatments:
Avoid Unnecessary Routine Deworming: Rather than routinely deworming all horses at regular intervals, stool examinations can identify those that truly require treatment. This reduces unnecessary use of anthelmintics.
Product Selection: Stool examinations help select the most effective type of anthelmintic based on the parasites detected. For example, some products are more effective against specific types of parasites.
3. Prevention of Anthelmintic Resistance:
Resistance Monitoring: Repeated and untargeted use of anthelmintics can lead to parasite resistance. By performing stool examinations before treatment, you can reduce the risk of developing resistant strains, as treatments are targeted and less frequent. Fecal Egg Reduction Tests (FECRT): After treatment, a further stool examination may be performed to assess the effectiveness of the dewormer. Insufficient egg reduction indicates possible resistance and may require a reevaluation of the treatment protocol.
4. Horse Health Monitoring:
Continuous Monitoring: Stool examination is a non-invasive method that allows for regular monitoring of the parasitic health of horses, helping to prevent severe infestations that could affect their overall health.
Parasite-Associated Disease Prevention: Uncontrolled parasitic infestations can lead to various health problems, such as weight loss, colic, and intestinal damage. Stool examination allows for early detection of infestations, thus limiting these risks. 5. Effective Herd Management:
Reduces Pasture Contamination: By identifying heavily infested horses, specific measures can be taken to limit pasture contamination, such as targeted treatment or temporary separation of animals.
Saves Time and Cost: By targeting antiparasitic treatments only to horses that need them, fecal smear testing can reduce deworming costs and minimize the time spent administering treatments.
Conclusion:
Fecal smear testing is an essential tool for parasite management in horses. It allows for accurate assessment of parasite load, personalized treatment, prevention of anthelmintic resistance, and monitoring of the horse's overall health. Used judiciously, it helps maintain healthy horses while reducing environmental impact and costs.
When should a fecal smear test be performed?
It is recommended to perform a fecal smear test four times a year on a healthy horse. The most important time to do this is the grazing season. If your horse is out on pasture all year round, for example, you might want to do one checkup in March/April, a second in June, a third in August, and a fourth in October/November.
Between 3 and 10 days
If you would like your order to be shipped via Mondial Relay or Shop2Shop, please indicate your preferred collection address, as unfortunately my website does not specify this when you finalise your order. Thank you for your understanding.
