It is normal to have concerns about your pet's bowels. To ensure the safety of your dog, our Santa Rosa vets highly recommend scheduling annual fecal exams for your beloved companion.
What Is A Fecal Exam?
A fecal exam is done right in your vets office, and is a microscopic exam of your pet's feces. Fecals are used to diagnose and treat many infections that could be compromising your pet's health. Intestinal parasites can be transmitted to humans, which means that getting annual fecal exams for your pet, also protects your family! If you are unsure if your pet needs a fecal exam, schedule a routine pet health exam with your vet today.
What Do Fecal Exams Detect?
Fecal exams give your veterinarian the opportunity to determine if your pet has intestinal parasites such as hookworms or roundworms. These intestinal parasites not only make pets uncomfortable and irritable, they can also lead to more serious conditions.
Intestinal parasites live in your pet's gastrointestinal tract, hidden from view. Fecals are the best way to detect parasites which otherwise might go undetected and infect other pets or even people in your household.
How Do I Prepare For My Pet's Fecal?
Simply bring a fresh sample of your pet's stool to your vet as quickly as possible, within 4 to 6 hours is ideal.
Dehydrating or drying-out can kill many of the parasites hiding within your pet, and could mask their presence when viewed under a microscope. Be sure to drop your pet's stool sample off for testing on the same day as collection for accurate results.
How Often Does My Pet Need A Fecal Exam?
Our Santa Rosa vets recommend annual fecal exams for healthy pets. Animals with gastrointestinal issues, and puppies, may require more frequent fecal exams. Your veterinarian will let you know how frequently your pet should have fecal exams done.