Westgate Laboratories Sand Test

Westgate Labs Sand Test Kit

This kit comes with six sample pots, allowing you to conduct two sand tests for all equines. With this kit, you can easily check for the presence of sand in the faeces of your equines, ensuring their digestive health. 

Sand ingestion is a common cause of colic in horses in some regions. When horses graze, they may accidentally consume sand, which can build up in their colon. This sand irritates the gut lining and, if not addressed promptly, can lead to gut impaction, which may be lifethreatening.

Horses prone to sand colic often have a background of grazing on sandy terrain, excessive grazing in paddocks, or feeding in areas with sandy footing, like a ménage. To evaluate the level of sand accumulation in their gut, equines in these risk groups can have their fecal samples collected periodically throughout the year. The samples are dissolved in water, and the amount of sediment settling overnight indicates the presence of sand.

Test results from Westgate are expressed as a percentage, providing a quantitative measure of the sand level found in the feces. While it's not ideal to find any sand, some healthy horses may tolerate small amounts without showing symptoms.

Sand accumulation typically occurs gradually, so monitoring with tests every few months and treating as necessary offers peace of mind. Positive tests should be discussed with your vet to assess if other symptoms like diarrhea or colic are present, and to devise a suitable management or treatment plan.

Due to variations in gut movement, false negatives can occur, showing no sand in horses carrying a burden. To address this, two kits are provided: if no sand is detected in the first sample, a second one should be taken a few days later. If sand is found in the first test, the second can be used after management adjustments for retesting.