Fecal Analysis

A fecal analysis is used to detect intestinal parasites in your pet. Because intestinal parasites live in your pet's GI tract, they are hidden and only detectable through testing the feces. These parasites may be hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, Giardia, or Coccidia. Parasites not only cause intestinal disease in dogs, some of them can also be infectious to humans (hookworms, roundworms, and Giardia). Although preventative medications greatly help, pets who regularly take preventatives still have some risk of contacting a parasitic infection. During a fecal analysis, fecal samples are processed and analyzed under a microscope to detect parasitic eggs and larvae. Antigen tests are also performed to detect proteins produced by different parasites to help with detection when eggs are not actively being produced.