Faecal worm egg count
Worm resistance can be overcome relatively easily by monitoring the faecal worm egg count (FWEC) of all horses at regular intervals.
This ensures that only those individuals with a significant worm burden are treated using appropriate wormers at appropriate times, thereby reducing the problem of resistance.
We prefer samples to be placed into one of our FWEC pots and sent with a completed FWEC submission form. Pots and submission forms can be collected from the practice or from one of our vets.
The FWEC is a relatively simple procedure. To do this, we need you to provide a small amount of your horse’s droppings, a heaped teaspoon size (selected from more than one nugget).
The sample should be as fresh as possible, ideally being delivered to the practice within 24 hours of collection. Alternatively, samples can be sent by first-class post.
Useful information
For samples arriving from larger yards, it helps to call the practice in advance on 01509 812445.
Following the analysis of each sample, we aim to contact you with your results within 48 hours. This gives your vet the opportunity to advise you on any further treatment, considering our knowledge of your horse.
This also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions about the treatment plan, a service which is included in the FWEC fee.
Unfortunately, tapeworms are not detected by routine worm egg counts. Tapeworm blood or saliva tests are instead used to assess the presence of tapeworm.
Pinworms can sometimes be hard to identify and may need a specific test.
Unfortunately, currently there is no available diagnostic test to determine if horses are carrying large burdens of “encysted” (immature) small strongyles.
Therefore, it is advisable that all young horses or others at risk are treated for this type of worm once a year.
Treatment
Once the cause of lameness has been established, we will be able to advise you on appropriate treatment and management strategies.
This may include medication, surgery, farriery and exercise programmes.
Poor performance
Loss of performance in a competition horse can occur for many reasons.
The most common of these are musculoskeletal disease (lameness or back pain), upper respiratory tract disorders (“wind” problems) and lower respiratory tract disease.
Occasionally, internal medical problems (such as anaemia, viral infection, post-viral syndrome, gastric ulceration or cardiac disease), gynaecological problems (particularly in mares), dental issues or tack-related problems may be involved.
Investigation of poor performance can be challenging and involves multiple different diagnostic steps.
Advanced equipment, including telemetric ECG, gastroscopy and overground endoscopy, is available at the hospital.
We can take the overground scope and ECG equipment out to nearby gallops if we are investigating poor performance in racehorses.
Our on-site laboratory means that in-house analysis and same-day results are attainable for blood and other samples.
It is important that the horse’s normal tack is brought in and, where possible, that the horse’s usual rider is available at the time of initial consultation to ride the horse.