Comprehensive Test Menu
Comprehensive laboratory testing including innovative, exclusive diagnostics.
The best menu of industry-leading diagnostics
IDEXX Reference Laboratories offers specialised equine testing and offers expertise in detecting the serious diseases affecting horses today.
Along with providing a team of board-certified equine specialists and the latest advancements in equine diagnostic research, IDEXX offers innovative new tests and delivers accurate, comprehensive results up front, so you can make more informed and confident medical decisions.
Overview
Equine Chemistry Testing with IDEXX SDMA Test
In addition to a complete range of routine tests, our innovative tests include:
- Endocrine testing, such as endogenous ACTH and insulin
- Bile acids so you can evaluate liver function
Equine Hematology Testing
IDEXX offers a comprehensive equine CBC. Manual slide review could reveal:
- Toxic change: an indicator of response to inflammation
- Left shift: release of immature neutrophils in response to inflammation
- Hemaparasites: e.g., Ehrlichia equi (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), Babesia and other parasites
- Atypical cells: e.g., leukemia fibrinogen is always automatically included in the equine CBC for indicating inflammation
Equine Serology and Microbiology Testing
- A complete line of infectious disease serologic testing, including leptospirosis.
- IgG testing for foals to indicate adequacy of passive transfer
- Automated microbiology system to allow more rapid culture results with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to improve selection of antibiotics
Featured Tests
IDEXX SDMA testing
Earlier intervention for more effective management of kidney disease
SDMA, symmetric dimethylarginine, is produced in every cell and released into the body’s circulation during protein degradation. SDMA is excreted by the kidneys, making it a good marker for estimating kidney function. Identifying kidney disease earlier could help manage a horse's kidney disease more effectively.
Equine Diarrhoea RealPCR Panel
Faster, more definitive diagnoses of equine gastrointestinal diseases
Identifying the pathogens causing equine gastrointestinal disease is critical for determining treatments, implementing biosecurity protocols and managing the spread of disease. Treatment protocols can be costly and inconvenient, so a quick, accurate diagnosis is essential.
With the IDEXX Equine Diarrhoea RealPCR™ Panel, veterinarians can now submit one sample to test for either 6 or 10 gastrointestinal pathogens.
| Pathogen | Comprehensive Panel |
| Equine rotavirus | x |
| Equine coronavirus | x |
| Cryptosporidium spp. | x |
| Salmonella spp. | x |
| Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin A | x |
| Rhodococcus equi | x |
| Clostridium difficile Toxin A | x |
| Clostridium difficile Toxin B | x |
| Lawsonia intracellularis | x |
Sample requirements
Fecal sample (5–10 grams) in container (preferably sterile) with ice packs
For packaging and shipping information, call 0800 838 522.
Turnaround times
Tests are performed Monday–Friday, with results available within 1–3 business days. Results for specimens received on Friday are available Monday. Culture identification and susceptibility results are available within 72 hours after PCR results.
Equine Respiratory RealPCR Panel
Faster, more definitive diagnoses of equine respiratory disease
Identifying causative pathogens for respiratory disease is critical for determining treatments, implementing biosecurity protocols and managing the spread of disease. With the Equine Respiratory RealPCR Panel, veterinarians can now submit one specimen to test for up to nine respiratory diseases.
The Equine Respiratory RealPCR Panel consists of nine real-time PCR tests:
- Equine Adenovirus RealPCR Test
- Equine Influenza Virus (EIV/H3N8) RealPCR Test
- Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1), Type 2 (EHV-2), Type 4 (EHV-4) and Type 5 (EHV-5) RealPCR™ tests
- Equine Rhinitis A Virus (ERAV) and Equine Rhinitis B Virus (ERBV) RealPCR tests
- Streptococcus equi subsp. equi RealPCR Panel including Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp.
Specimen requirements
Deep nasopharyngeal swabs (one from each nostril). Please submit dry, plastic-stemmed swabs, without transport media, in an RTT or an empty, sterile tube; keep refrigerated. Collect specimen prior to antibiotic administration.
Deep pharyngeal swab (with visible organic material on swab; please rub firmly) and a conjunctival swab (wipe eye clean; swab inside of eyelid) in the same tube. Please submit dry, plastic stemmed swabs, without transport media, in an empty, sterile tube; keep refrigerated. When acquiring a pharyngeal swab, precautions should be taken to prevent patient from biting and/or ingesting part of swab.
Collect specimens prior to antibiotic administration.
Turnaround time
Results available within 7 - 8 business days.
Equine Herpesvirus Types 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4) RealPCR Tests
New weapons in the fight against infectious diseases
Equine Herpesvirus Types 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4) RealPCR Tests are sensitive tests that use real-time PCR technology to deliver speed and accuracy in detecting the presence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 DNA.
Equine Herpesvirus Type 1
Numerous outbreaks of EHV-1 have hit the equine industry, resulting in great loss.
EHV-1, a virus often found latent in normal horses, can present as respiratory disease or neurologic disease, or cause abortions. Once in a population of horses, the virus is spread quickly and can cause devastating results.
The Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) RealPCR Test helps you confidently:
- Diagnose horses exhibiting clinical signs consistent with EHV-1 disease
- Diagnose horses exposed to confirmed EHV-1 cases
- Isolate infected or exposed horses from other susceptible horses in a timely manner
- Identify EHV-1 strains containing a mutation that is highly associated with neurologic clinical signs
Equine Herpesvirus Type 4
Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4; equine rhinopneumonitis virus) is a health risk to equine populations worldwide. Disease severity depends on multiple factors and may be latent in normal horses because clinical signs can be similar to other respiratory diseases, therefore it can be difficult to make a definitive diagnosis from clinical presentation alone.
The Equine Herpesvirus Type 4 (EHV-4) RealPCR Test identifies:
- EHV-4 in horses presenting with respiratory clinical signs
- Horses that have been exposed to confirmed EHV-4 cases
PCR methods help distinguish between EHV-4, EHV-1 and EHV-1 neuropathogenic strains
Horses presenting with respiratory disease may have a dual infection with both EHV-1 and EHV-4. With the EHV-4 and EHV-1 RealPCR Tests, an equine practitioner can quickly distinguish between EHV-4, EHV-1, and the EHV-1 neuropathogenic mutant strain, to manage disease and prevent the spread of the virus to other horses.
Specimen requirements
Nasal swabs are used to detect animals shedding the virus or that were recently exposed to a confirmed case. A whole blood specimen is recommended from symptomatic animals to detect viraemia.
With IDEXX RealPCR tests, you can count on
- The latest innovation in PCR technology, with the virtual elimination of false positives.
- Fast answers, so you can work through your list of differential diagnoses faster.
Turnaround time
Results available within 1 - 2 weeks.
Equine Feacal Egg Count Panel
When evaluating the effectiveness of a deworming program, simply determining the presence or absence of eggs is not enough.
The Equine Faecal Egg Count Panel provides a quantitative analysis of egg count, so you can accurately monitor anthelmintic performance and recommend adjustments as necessary.
Consider running the Equine Faecal Egg Count Panel when:
- Determining the worm burden within an individual horse or on a farm
- Evaluating anthelmintic efficacy
Additionally, this test will give you the information you need to help clients understand if their current deworming programs are working—and where you can make recommendations to improve effectiveness.
Specimen requirements
Faecal sample (1g minimum) in a sterile container. Keep refrigerated.
Turnaround time
Results available within 1 business day.
IDEXX Rhodococcus equi RealPCR Test
The IDEXX Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) RealPCR Test:
- Detects strains that contain the virulence plasmid (VapA gene)
- Includes culture confirmation of the presence of R. equi bacteria, virulent or avirulent strains
PCR methods are more rapid and sensitive than culture, and can identify virulent R. equi
Horses are unique in that the R. equi strains which cause disease almost all contain a plasmid that carries a virulence gene. VapA, whose function is not well understood, is necessary for clinical disease.
The detection of R. equi by standard bacterial culture can be difficult if the horse has received antibiotic therapy. Further, culture cannot identify strains that carry the virulence plasmid. PCR methods are not only more rapid and sensitive than culture, but also can identify virulent R. equi.
Sample requirements
5 - 10 mL Tracheal wash fluid in a sterile tube without preservatives; keep refrigerated and send with cold pack within 24 hours of collection if respiratory signs.
Turnaround times
Results available within 2 - 4 business days.
Salmonella spp. RealPCR Panel
There’s a faster way to detect and contain Salmonella
The IDEXX Salmonella spp. RealPCR Panel helps you quickly identify and isolate contagious horses, even asymptomatic horses.
- Confirm the presence of Salmonella organisms quickly with our highly specific and sensitive Salmonella real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
- Isolate infected patients, implement therapy and identify environmental contamination in a more timely manner.
- Quickly identify diarrhea caused by Salmonella.
- Automatic culture identification of Salmonella spp. organisms for confirmation of positive PCR result.
Sample requirements
- Acceptable specimens include:
- Faecal swabs (in transport media without charcoal). Keep refrigerated.
- Faecal samples (1–5 grams in sterile containers). Keep refrigerated.
- Environmental swabs or wipes (in sterile containers containing peptone broth to cover, but not incubated)
- Ship sample within 24 hours of collection.
Turnaround times
Results available within 3 days.
Leptospira spp. RealPCR Panel
Early detection with no vaccine cross-reactivity
The IDEXX Leptospira spp. RealPCR Panel enables an early and accurate diagnosis of equine leptospirosis. A potentially life-threatening disease, leptospirosis most commonly manifests in horses as servere kidney disease. In addition, urinary shedding of leptospires by infected animals poses a significant zoonotic risk to horse owners.
Sample requirements
2mL EDTA Whole Blood and 2mL Urine in a sterile container. Keep refrigerated. Collect specimens prior to antibiotic administration.
Turnaround times
Results available within 2 - 3 business days.