The fecal exam is performed when the dog or the cat has gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, vomit, sudden weight loss, parasites or occult blood.
Fecal exam in cats and dogs
What you should know
- Collected stools can be kept in a fridge up to 3 days waiting to bring the sample to the veterinarian
- It is performed on a modest amount of stools
Only in particular conditions the veterinarian may require samples to be drawn for three consecutive days
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Searching for parasites for example coccidia
- Pathologies of the respiratory system – e.g: search for Strongili (Aelurostrongylus abstrus) using Baermann method
The stools are also checked to verify
- Consistency
- Color
- Smell
- Presence of undigested food
- Presence of occult blood (foreign body, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, tumors)
Fecal exam in cats and dogs
The most used techniques
- DIRECT SMEAR
- FECAL FLOTATION
- BAERMANN METHOD
A variety of diseases can be identified with a simple stool test
so many parasites live in the stomach, in the bronchi and also in the bile ducts of cats and dogs
Coprological examination is not only indispensable for a correct parasitological diagnosis but also to check
- Parasites, such as Tapeworm, Toxoplasma, Giardia
- Diseases of the digestive organs
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Infections such as Salmonellosis
Fecal exam in cats and dogs
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