There are 3 different types of tapeworm that are known to affect horses:
> Anoplocephala perfoliata,
> Anoplocephala magna, and
> Anoplocephaloides mamillana
Tapeworm burdens are associated with various types of colic and intestinal obstruction. The tapeworm attach themselves to the horse’s gut wall and live off ingested food.
Historically it has been common practice to routinely worm twice a year for tapeworm, regardless of whether the horse has a tapeworm burden. This has led to widespread resistance, which has fatal consequences, as there are only 2 drugs available for the control of tapeworm in horses.
The Equisal Saliva test is like the blood test but uses your horse’s saliva to tell us whether or not your horse has a tapeworm burden. You can collect the saliva yourself, and the results are reported by one of our Equine Team. Current EquiSal data shows that only 28% of horses tested for tapeworm have a burden that needs treatment.
You can read more about the Equisal Saliva test here.
You can read more about how to test here.
You can read more about how to collect your horse’s saliva here.
It is important to note that you must do the Equisal test a minimum of 4 months after any tapeworm treatment, as doing the test within this period can give a false negative reading.
