Fecal Parasite Examination

Before submission of feces to MVL, the veterinarian or technician should conduct a gross examination for presence of blood, mucus, intact worms, or tapeworm segments.

Specimen size should be at least 1 gram of formed feces (approx. 1 tablespoon). For soft feces: 2 grams; for slurry-like feces: 4 grams; for liquid feces: 6 grams should be submitted. Inadequate sample size may result in false negative results.

Well mixed feces with a salt solution poured into centrifugation tubes. The tube is spun near full, removed from the centrifuge and a meniscus is formed. A cover slip is placed and allowed to sit a minimum of 20 minutes before reading.