Why Does My Pet Need A Stool Test?Updated a year ago

Most simply, regular stool testing helps keep pets (and even the human family) healthy.

Intestinal parasites are common in all animals, including well-cared for pets. Sometimes they go unnoticed and don’t cause the pet harm. Other times they lead to mild, moderate, or even severe illness. Some parasites carried by pets can infect other pets in the household or even infect and harm humans.

For those reasons, veterinarians recommend stool (fecal) testing at least once if not twice per year for all pets, even if they are healthy with normal appearing stools. Vets also recommend stool testing right away when the stool appears abnormal (e.g., soft, loose, or bloody) or when abnormal signs appear that could be caused by an intestinal parasite infection.

There are a variety of common parasites that are routinely screened for in normal stools of healthy pets including worms (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms), coccidia, and Giardia. Stool testing can be taken to a higher level to include microbes (common disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa of dog or cat intestines) for pets with frequent or ongoing abnormal stools or signs.

Please contact a local or virtual veterinarian right away if your pet is acting sick.

Additional Questions? Chat us at MySimplePetLab.com, email [email protected], or call us at 833-PET-TEST (833-738-8378).