What is Coggins (Equine Infectious Anemia)?

Coggins is blood test that is performed on horses to test for the virus that causes Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA – also known as Swamp Fever). The blood test is then sent to a state approved laboratory to check for the EIA antiboties. EIA is spread by biting insects (horseflies) that injest an infected horses blood and then pass that infected blood to the next horse the insect bites. EIA is a contagious disease / virus for which there is not a cure and there is not a vaccine to prevent it. EIA can be fatal and the horses that survive will be carriers of the disease for the rest of their lives. These horses will now be very contagious to other horses forever. It is common for EIA positive horses to be euthanized to prevent spread of the disease. Those that survive must be quarantied to protect other horses from EIA. If your horse does test positive for EIA, ask for a second test to be sure.

Many states require mandatory (yearly, every 6 months) Coggins tests before a horse can be moved across state lines. Many in the horse industry such as breeders, trainers, professionals and barn owners require current proof of a negative Coggins test before bringing your horse onto their property. You usually must show proof of negative Coggins when entering a horse show, event, auction or riding on state/federal park property. When buying a horse, ask to see the current Coggins paperwork or during the pre-purchase vet-check, have a Coggins test performed. The Coggins test usually runs around 30 or 40 dollars. Well worth it for peace of mind and ease of travels.

Thank you to Beginning Horsemanship for this article.
www.beginninghorsemanship.com

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