Canine & Feline Specific Assays Horse

Equine T4 (Thyroxine)

Equine T4 measures thyroxine, the main thyroid hormone, in a horse's blood. It can help your vet look at thyroid function, but illness and some medicines can change the result.

Sample: Serum (plain)
Quantity: As advised
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

Total T4 (thyroxine) in the horse's serum
A guide to how active the thyroid gland is

Often discussed at these ages:Senior Horse

When your vet may advise it

A horse with unexplained weight change or a poor coat
Low energy or poor performance with no clear cause
Following up a horse already being checked for thyroid problems

About this test

Thyroxine (T4) is made by the thyroid gland and helps control a horse's metabolism. A low T4 is sometimes linked to thyroid problems, but it is also seen in horses that are ill, underfed or on certain medicines, so a single low result does not prove thyroid disease. A vet may ask for T4 when a horse has unexplained weight change, a poor coat or low energy, and reads it with the horse's signs, history and other tests. The lab report shows the reference range for horses, and a registered veterinarian interprets the result.

How to prepare

No fasting is needed. Blood is taken into a plain tube for serum. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Questions about Equine T4

Does a low T4 mean my horse has a thyroid problem?

Not always. A low T4 can also be seen in horses that are ill or on certain medicines. Your vet reads it with the horse's signs and history before deciding anything.

Which sample is needed for the equine T4 test?

A serum sample from a plain blood tube is used. Your vet or the lab collector takes the blood. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Before you book this test

Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.

Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.

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