Tapeworm treatment in horses, how useful are the tests?
Tapeworms are internal parasites that live in the intestinal tract of horses. The most common species found in the UK is Anoplocephala perfoliata. Studies have estimated that 5169 of horses in the UK and Ireland are infested with tapeworm. But how do we know? And can you reliably check if your horse is one of them?
What problems can they cause?
Horses with high tapeworm burdens are at an increased risk of colic particularly a type of colic known as caecocolic intussusception where the caecum becomes trapped in the colon a condition that requires surgery to correct and carried a very poor prognosis. Others may suffer from weight loss or repeated episodes of medical colic. Although they are an uncommon cause of weight loss or colic tapeworm testing often forms part of a diagnostic work up for ill thrift or chronic colic so that affected animals can be managed.
The larvae then live and grow in these forage mites which are in turn ingested by horses grazing pasture and in turn grow develop into adults and produce eggs of their own. Faecal worm egg counts are very useful in measuring internal parasite burdens by counting roundworm eggs. But it cannot accurately identify tapeworm as the eggs are released intermittently and are often protected by a proglottid layer. We need to rely on a separate test for tapeworm
Two tests are commercially available one uses saliva and the other blood. The blood test has been available for many years but the blood sample must be taken by a veterinary surgeon. The saliva test however can be performed by an owner thus reducing the need for a veterinary visit.
The tests measure antibody levels to the tapeworm. So in some cases it is possible that the horse has been treated successfully for tapeworm but antibodies remain for several months in the blood or saliva. This is why it is important to know the timing of treatment and when it relates to testing in order for your vet to interpret the
