Detection of Parasitic Infections by Fecal Examination

The commonly occuring intestinal parasitic infections of cats, dogs, and other animals including people are efficiently detected by microscopic examination of fecal samples. In our laboratory at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine parasitic infections in companion animals and domestic livestock are detected by fecal examination. The use of these methods is determined by (1) the parasitic species we hope to identify in the sample and (2) the host species from which the fecal sample originated. In this document we provide a discussion and review of our fecal examination methods. It is our hope that this information will encourage wide-spread adoption of the best practices for detecting parasitic infections in client-owned animals.