The Most common Equine Diagnostic Plans

8. Equine Chronic Ill Thrift/Weight Loss Plan

Tests Performed	Test Code	Samples Needed
ACTH Baseline	ACTHE	- 3ml EDTA plasma separated from cells and frozen within 4 hours.
Insulin Baseline	INSE
ACTH Post TRH	ACTHPOSTTRH1
ACTH Pre TRH	ACTHPRETRH
Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) Virus c-ELISA	EIAEL	- 1ml serum.
Fecal Floatation	FLOAT	- Fresh feces.
Hemogram, Large Animal	LA CBC	- (2) unstained, unfixed, air-dried blood smears
Large Animal Chemistry	LA P	- Heparinized plasma (separated from a green top tube). - Serum (separated).
Peritoneal Fluid Cytology	PTFE	- 1ml peritoneal fluid in EDTA (lavender top tube); red top tube if culture anticipated plus 2-3 unstained smears.
Sand Recovery Analysis	SAND	- Feces (8-10 fecal balls).
Selenium, whole blood.	SEL	- EDTA whole blood (lavender top tube). - Heparin whole blood (green top tube).
Serum Amyloid A	SAA VET	- 1ml serum or plasma.
Thyroid , Equine	THYPALLI	- 2ml serum or plasma.
Vitamin E in serum	NDIK	- 2ml serum.
Lawsonia intracellularis qPCR	LAWPCR	- Feces, ileum, or tonsillar tissue.

- Horses with EPM may present with asymmetrical muscle wasting or weakness – diagnostics to consider include Sarcocystis neurona EPM SAG 2,3,4 ELISA and Neospora hughesi ELISA. Both assays are referred to Equine Diagnostic Solutions.

- Cyathostomiasis (encysted small strongyle larval infection) may cause chronic ill thrift. In these cases the absence of strongyle eggs and larvae on fecal floatation does not rule out a diagnosis of cyathostomiasis.

- Lawsonia intracellularis, the causative agent of Equine Proliferative Enteropathy, effects horses in the weanling to yearling age range, from approximately 2 to 18 months of age. Rarely adult horses may be affected.