Fecal examinations can reveal potential digestive issues from diarrhea to worms in the stool.
Fecal examinations can be useful in situations where cats are experiencing gastrointestinal problems. A fecal examination can help identify parasites or even viral infections that could be contributing to the problems. It is a non-invasive way to obtain information that could be very important in treating your cat’s gastrointestinal problems.
A fecal parasite screen will test the stool for possible parasites that pass through the intestinal tract. A general screening will look for the more commonly found parasites. Sometimes the doctor will require a more detailed screen to find less common parasitic infections if initial testing comes back negative, or if initial treatments fail to resolve the problem effectively.
Fecal samples are sent to a commercial laboratory for processing and testing. Depending on the situation, a microscopic analysis of the sample may be performed, or biochemical testing for antigens or genetic material associated with parasites or viruses may be performed.
A fresh sample will lead to the most reliable results. A fecal sample that is dried out will be less useful, but a sample that is too liquid to separate from the litter is also less useful. If you are having difficulty collecting a sample from your cat, contact the clinic and we will aid in this process.
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