During a fecal examination, the number of worm eggs in your horse's feces is examined. A few eggs are not a problem, but if there are many worm eggs present, then a deworming treatment is advised. Deworming based on fecal examination can prevent over-deworming. This was sometimes a problem in the past, as worms become resistant to deworming agents that are given too frequently.

Red bloodworms in hibernation

In autumn, the larvae of the red bloodworm go into a resting state. They then settle in the intestinal mucosa of your horse. In this resting stage, no eggs are produced, and you cannot see in the feces that a worm infection is present. Only when the larvae wake up and crawl out of the mucosa, will your horse become ill. This usually happens in winter. This worm infection is often seen in young horses. It is therefore wise to give a treatment against red bloodworms around the first frost date, even if there are no eggs visible in the fecal examination!

Bot larvae not visible in the feces

Bot larvae are also unpleasant parasites. In autumn, they can nest in the stomach wall. They can sometimes cause significant damage there. The larvae can cause a stomach bleeding or even a rupture of the stomach wall! Unfortunately, you also do not see bot eggs in your horse's feces. That is another reason why a suitable deworming treatment after the summer season, so in winter, is a very good idea.

Tricky tapeworms

Tapeworms can also be tricky for your horse. Tapeworm infections sometimes cause colic and inflammations at the entrance to the small intestine. The eggs of the tapeworm are easily visible, you can even distinguish them with the naked eye in the feces. They look a bit like grains of rice. The problem, however, is that the eggs are deposited very irregularly. It can happen that your fecal examination does not show any signs of tapeworms, but they are still there... Another reason for a good deworming treatment in autumn.

When to conduct fecal examination?

Fecal examination is very useful, but in autumn, it is not very useful. Most veterinarians therefore advise giving your horse a robust deworming treatment in autumn, after the first frost, which also works against red bloodworms, bot larvae, and tapeworms. During the grazing season, it is very useful to conduct regular fecal examinations. Take a sample from an individual horse, or make a pooled sample from the feces of all horses in your herd. If too many worm eggs are found in the sample, then you give all horses a suitable deworming treatment. If not, deworming is usually not necessary. Only horses that are more susceptible to worm infections - such as foals, young horses, and pregnant mares - should be dewormed more frequently.