We can now perform worm egg counts in house using the McMasters method for obtaining an accurate count in eggs per gram. We can do this for sheep, goats and horses. This is very useful for determining when to worm to maximise efficacy of wormers and reduce the chance of resistance developing. We can also use these counts to find out whether there are any resistance problems to particular wormers on farm.
We can accept faecal samples on Tuesdays and Thursdays before 1pm. For horses bring in a faecal pellet per horse in a sealed container. For groups of sheep and goats the best method is to obtain ten samples per grazing group; to do this gather a group into a corner of the field or pens and collect ten individual samples, for example into latex gloves. We will pool them in the laboratory. All faecal samples should be collected as fresh as possible before dropping them off at the practice, otherwise eggs can hatch out before we count them, making the count falsely low.
If you have cattle or sheep, we can now sign you up to a monthly parasite forecast personalised to your farm’s area. This allows you to plan ahead with drenching or worm egg counts, contact us for more information.
