Working at a veterinary clinic you see a lot of poop. Like, every day. And, we ask for it! So why are we always asking you to bring your dog’s poop, even if it looks normal? Well, it can tell us a lot. Interesting tidbit: Did you know scientists are using elephant dung to combat poaching? We don’t get that into it, but fecal exams are still a very important tool to keep you and your pet healthy. Dogs and cats carry several common intestinal parasites that can infect people as well. Young children are especially susceptible because they’re less diligent about washing hands before eating or putting their fingers in their mouths.
The links below will take you to the CDC’s page for each of these common intestinal parasites:
Roundworms
Hookworms
Whipworms
Tapeworms
Coccidia
Giardia
When we look at a stool sample we are looking for the eggs laid by the worms, as well as coccidia and giardia, all of which require a microscope to be seen. You won’t see most of these worms in the stool unless they die and lose their grip on the intestinal tract. Almost all of these parasites can be found in stool that is normal and formed. However they can contribute to diarrhea when your pet gets sick, so we will always check a stool sample when a pet is having soft stools.
Keeping your pet on monthly heartworm prevention will deworm for several of these intestinal parasites on a monthly basis (depending on the type of heartworm prevention you use), however we will sometimes see infections in these pets if they live in an area with a high exposure rate. Because of this and the fact that the parasites can cause some unpleasant symptoms in people, we ask to check stool samples at least once a year to keep your family (2-legged and 4-legged!) protected. So bring on the poo!