I would like to run fecal tests on my horses this year. Usually I go to my vet which is fine, but I heard that people also use a mailing kit to send fecals. Have you ever tried this, and if so, which company do you use?
I’ve used this place for awhile now - no complaints and the results come back in no time at all (mine are sent via email). I just mailed a sample out yesterday in fact.
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I always do fecals via mail, w/ the results via email - fast and convenient, though I only have 2 horses. Been known the carry the empty specimen vial on a ride, hop off and collect whenever she lifts her tail while we’re out there…But this method would not work well for someone needing to check a dozen horses. I think I bought mail order kits from Dover last time.
I do all my own fecals. Bought a used but good microscope e bay or craigslist can’t remember. Its very easy to do and one time cost for the microscope is nothing compared to repeated yearly fecal testing. Its great because i can test every season and have finally have a almost parasite free herd. I still treat for tapes but never worm w/o positive fecal. All the information is readily available on-line and I do not have a science background. The only problem is friends want me to do their herds and thats just to much work.
I’ve learned that one test is really not worth much unless you are lucky and the worms are shedding eggs that day therefore it really is recommended that even if the first fecal is clean to do at least 2 more. I do that now that I’m not paying for it and I also do my dogs.
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I second Horseman’s Lab. The results are super quick and they offer discounts for multiple horses. We usually sample 10-12 horses twice a year.
I do this too. My FECs have also gone down to zero or near zero on even my highest shedders.
How I handle the friends asking situation: I tell them they can come over and I’ll teach them how to do FECs themselves on my equipment. Usually that deters them, although I’m more than happy to teach anyone who wants to learn. I do not like to actually do FECs for friends, though, because of liability and that legal gray area of “practicing medicine without a license.” 
Thanks Texarkana good idea on how to handle friends…
my question is- do you have to keep the fecals cold? They tell us to refrigerate if waiting for the vet to pick it up or whatever.
Supposedly squeezing all the air out of the bag prevents eggs from hatching and developing, but it sure seems like I get lower counts when my manure has sat around at room temp for an extended period of time.
One day when I’m ambitious, I need to split a sample and leave half at room temp and half refrigerated and see if there is any difference.
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Storage matters! Keep em cold and mail with an ice pack http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401709005767
Some state veterinary diagnostic laboratories will do fecal egg counts on specimens submitted from owners as well.
@walkers and @Texarkana what is the appropriate microscope? How much should one expect to spend on one? Do y’all offer tutorials?! For reals, I’m interested in doing my own fecal tests.
Its a good time of year to buy a used microscope at least here we have so many collages and students leaving town in May. I just did some on-line research and I think I found a YouTube. with instructions I spent about$125 for multiple powers 3 lenses power 40 to 400. Its a bi -nonclular lab scope but thats just what was on sale used probably can use any similar scope. just make sure the power is good enough and lenses aren’t damaged. Anyway its all on-line and not hard to learn, you will need to order floatation solution and slid kit with grid on it so you can count eggs. Really i have zero science background.
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@dynamite0319 I have a strong science background, as well as training as a vet tech, but I only say that to corroborate what @walkers said.
What you need: ability to do 100x magnification (10x objective) with a good light source on it. Binocular is preferable to monocular, although a monocular will work, it’s just annoying. A mechanical stage is a huge asset and should be a priority, although you can manipulate the slide with your fingers. I bought my scope off Amazon new for less than $200, and the optics are plenty acceptable- as good or better than some of the $1000+ scopes I used to utilize and maintain at various labs.
I buy slides through Eggzamin- you only really need one McMaster slide. Eggzamin also sells kits, but it’s not necessary to buy a full kit (unless you want to) because the other materials are easy to gather. Flotation solution can be made by saturating an epsom salt solution, syringes of almost any size can be used for pipetting the solution into the slide and for measuring volumes of liquid, gauze 4x4s can be used for filtration, and old pill vials make excellent vessels for mixing.
Like walkers said, Youtube has many tutorials on how to do a McMaster egg count; it’s truly easy as pie.
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Have used Horseman’s Lab 10+ years, no complaints. They are also easy to call by phone if you have questions.
