The Quantitative Fecal Test Kit has all you need to obtain a quantitative (McMaster's) analysis: a submission form, instructions, a sealable plastic specimen container and a postage-paid return sample mailer. Because the results are given in exact, counted numbers, the quantitative fecal analysis is a valuable test for establishing a baseline and for monitoring any horse on a deworming program. If the lab discovers the signs of intestinal parasites, the parasite species will be identified (most commonly strongyle and roundworm in horses) and exact calculated numbers of eggs per gram of feces will be reported. These results (such as 1,700 strongyle eggs per gram) can be used to compare prior fecal analyses following a deworming program. If no evidence of parasitic activity is seen, the results will be reported as "No ova or parasites seen".

Fecal testing is an extremely important procedure for horse health maintenance that is both easy and inexpensive to achieve. Simply place a small fecal sample in the kit's sealable plastic bag and mail it to the equine testing laboratory in the provided mailer. The lab will let you know, via direct email (or U.S. Mail if no email is available) if there is any evidence of intestinal parasitic activity in your horse. It's as simple as that!

For consistent health maintenance, it is best to perform fecal analysis four times a year for adult animals. After a horse has tested negative for several consecutive test cycles, the time between tests can be increased.

Please note: Because of the nature of their unusual life-cycles, tapeworm and pinworm eggs are not commonly seen during routine fecal analysis. Please refer to your veterinarian for specific tests to detect these parasites.

Quantitative versus Qualitative testing: Which is right for my horse?

We at Dover Saddlery feel that offering two types of fecal testing is very important for the detection of equine intestinal parasites. In our experience, the qualitative (modified Wisconsin) analysis is more precise for finding and identifying eggs in low-burdened animals, thus, it reduces the number of false-negatives. The quantitative (McMaster's) analysis is valuable for establishing a baseline and for monitoring any patient on a deworming program. Both reports, which are sent directly to your email address, will identify the type of intestinal parasite residing in your horse (if eggs are seen). Quantitative reports will provide you with actual egg counts ("1,200 ova per gram") while qualitative reports will provide you with estimates ("mild", "moderate" or "heavy" loads seen).