Page 3187 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

How to Collect a Fecal Sample

VetBooks.ir BACKGROUND which color goes with which puppy, and when the crayon color
is then passed in the diarrhea, the color identifies which puppy
has diarrhea. It is important to note that even though only one
An animal’s feces (excrement, stool) can provide important informa-
tion about the function of internal organs, including pancreatic and puppy may have diarrhea, a veterinarian may recommend treating
intestinal health, the presence of intestinal parasites, and many other all puppies with a dewormer. Puppies often expose each other to
useful indicators. Therefore, microscopic evaluation of a sample of parasites or acquire parasites together at birth or in the milk during
the feces is an important, noninvasive test that many veterinarians nursing.
use for identifying the causes of certain illnesses and gastrointestinal Before beginning, it is important to note that pregnant women
(GI) disorders. and any person with a compromised immune system (such as
someone undergoing chemotherapy) should not be collecting fecal
GETTING STARTED samples. Additionally, because of the risk of exposure to Toxoplasma
Materials needed for collecting a fecal sample include: in cat fecal samples, pregnant women are often warned by their
• Latex medical-type gloves (can be purchased in a drugstore or physicians to have someone else in the household clean cat litter
pharmacy) boxes once daily for the duration of their pregnancy (toxoplasmosis
• Plastic ziplock bag or other small, plastic container that can be can be present in a cat’s stool even in the absence of diarrhea).
sealed
• Plastic disposable spoon PROCEDURE: HOW TO COLLECT THE SAMPLE
When collecting a fecal sample, it is important to remember that To collect a sample from a cat litter box, scoop the feces from the
with improper technique, there is a health risk to you: if the feces litter box with the disposable plastic spoon and seal it (with the
contain an infectious organism, that organism can be infectious spoon in the bag) in a ziplock bag. It will not harm the sample if
to people. Examples of these infectious organisms include several some litter is included. If the stool is formed/solid, it may be possible
types of GI worms, as well as coccidia, Giardia, and Toxoplasma. simply to invert the plastic bag inside out, use it as a glove to pick
Utmost hygiene is essential. Wearing medical-type latex exam gloves up the feces, and invert it with the feces inside and seal.
is appropriate for collecting a fecal sample, and whether you wear To collect a sample from a dog, walk the dog on-leash outside.
them or not, it is essential that you avoid any chance of fecal-oral Confirm that the feces sample to be collected is fresh and not old.
transmission of germs. This means: Collect the sample with a plastic spoon or, if the feces is firm, use
• Wash your hands immediately after completing the collection the inverted plastic bag approach, as described above. Only a
of the sample, before touching your face, clothes, or anything small amount of feces (approximately 1 tablespoon) is necessary
else. for most testing. If the sample is watery or if the pet has very little
• Keep the container (ziplock bag, other) wide open when depositing patience for leash walking, it may be necessary for one person to
the sample so as to not contaminate the edges. walk the pet and a second person to collect the sample.
• Avoid bending or placing tension on the plastic spoon when
collecting the sample so there is no risk of spreading the sample AFTERWARDS
(flicking/splashing). Dispose of latex gloves and any leftover materials (e.g., plastic
Properly done, fecal sample collection is simple, safe, and spoon if you did not put it in the ziplock bag) appropriately, and
medically important for your pet. wash your hands immediately.
The fresher the fecal sample is, the better it is for analysis. Ideally,
TROUBLESHOOTING BEFOREHAND a sample should be examined at your veterinary hospital within 4
For a valid analysis, the feces should be submitted to the veterinarian hours of collection, but samples that are up to 24 hours old are
within 24 hours of being passed by the pet, and preferably within still valuable. If immediate delivery of the sample to the veterinary
12 hours. If this is not possible, the sample should be kept in a hospital is not possible, store the sealed container in a cool, dry
cool area (but not frozen) out of direct sunlight. place away from sunlight and deliver as soon as possible.
In multi-cat or multi-dog households, it can be challenging to
know with certainty which pet produced which feces. For dogs, ALTERNATIVES AND THEIR RELATIVE MERITS
a basic first step is to allow a dog to defecate without other dogs Fecal analysis is an important test for evaluating a dog or cat’s
present, either on a walk or in an enclosed area like a yard. If he/ intestinal symptoms like diarrhea. Up to three analyses may have to
she is not accustomed to this, then waiting for the pet to become be performed to identify a parasite, because the parasite or its eggs
comfortable may take some extra time. may be shed only intermittently. If a fecal analysis is negative (no
When many puppies live together and diarrhea is noted, it can parasites or parasite eggs seen), further testing may be needed if
be difficult to determine the exact source—which puppy has the the problem persists and does not respond to initial treatment. Such
diarrhea? And is it just one of them or more than one? The simplest tests can include abdominal ultrasound (to examine the structure of
but most time-consuming approach is to watch the puppies until the intestines), blood tests (to evaluate general function of the liver,
each one has defecated. If this is not possible, an alternative kidneys, blood cells, pancreas, and other organs), x-rays (to show
approach is to add a small piece of a nontoxic wax crayon in the the position and proportions of the internal organs), and intestinal
pups’ food, with a different color for each puppy. Keep track of biopsy, either via endoscopy or surgery.

From Cohn and Côté: Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 4th edition. Copyright © 2020 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.