DIY Fecals

[pet_snake_78]

The costs of fecal exams can get pretty high if you have more than a few new snakes coming in at a time. I've got my microscope setup and performed fecal#1 now the trouble is I have no training nor idea what I am looking at. I picked up a few charts but hard to tell what I am looking at here. Hoping someone on the forum has an experienced eye for these things.

[Minkness]

Well, for one, movement. That's how I used to be able to spot any nasty things. Poop doesn't move...parasites do.

[travesty]

I know a vet tech that can identify worms and eggs and whatnot in dog/cat feces. It can't be that much different or hard once you know what to look for. I'll ask her.

[pet_snake_78]

Thanks, I am told anyone who can ID dog/cat parasites can ID reptile parasites well enough for treatment purposes.

I'd really like to train myself also so that I can help teach others. While I don't think we should be dispensing our own medications in many cases, I do think we should become handy as a group with the microscope and use vets for verification and treatment advice.

[MDT]

poo.....you are looking at poo.

:D

that is my medical opinion. you can leave your co-pay on your way out. thank you.

[Andy_G]

poo.....you are looking at poo.

:D

that is my medical opinion. you can leave your co-pay on your way out. thank you.

I disagree. It's actually pewp.

[pet_snake_78]

Sometimes some of the poo also floats to the top. In this case more than normal, they are CB snakes so I wouldn't be all together surprised if nothing but poo is in there but it never hurts to be sure before they leave quarantine. I have some definitely positive fecals to tinker with soon, just waiting until they take a duke now.

[travesty]

She says,
"If you take a very small amount of the specimen and smear it on a slide with SALINE, this will allow you to check the ratio of healthy bacteria in the feces. The very small round dots (that can sometimes look like small bubbles) are COCCI, and the tubular structures floating around with them are the RODS. These are bacteria. There should be a nearly equal ratio of the two in a health specimen. When you see more rods than cocci, or vice-versa, this can be an indicator of a more serious problem. These rods and cocci will be seen through the microscope on high magnification. SPIROCHETES can also be identified with this procedure. If you notice dots that appear to be spiraling across your sample, these are SPIROCHETES. A few spirochetes may be harmless, whereas many of them is usually an indicator of illness.

To check for eggs and larvae, you would need a FECAL FLOAT SOLUTION. This type of analysis CANNOT be done with just saline or water. With the FECAL FLOAT SOLUTION, you mix the sample and fill a specified container until there is a surface tension bubble on the top. You would then place a slide cover on the bubble and wait about 7 minutes. Remove the slide cover and place on a fresh slide. On the lower magnification, you can identify most parasite and worm eggs. You would need to look up a chart to know what to look for. Basically, if you see multiple cell-like structures that are identical throughout the specimen, these are usually worm eggs. A chart of the varieties would tell you which specific worm or parasite you are looking at. Minkness is correct on the movement though. If you are trying to just get a vague idea of whether you have a healthy animal, any movement in the feces is probably bacteria. The bacteria alone does not mean the animal is unhealthy, but a large ratio of these bacteria may indicate something is wrong. I would always consult a Veterinarian to verify if the bacteria you are seeing is something to worry about.

I do not see anything concerning in the sample images you posted above, but i also do not know how you went about applying that sample to the slide. If the sample was not taken from a fecal float, the eggs and larvae may not be present. The process is designed to make them float to the surface of the sample and stick to your slide cover. A simple fecal smear will most likely not yield any eggs or larvae."

[pet_snake_78]

Hey thanks man! That was a fecal float done with the appropriate solutions. I got the stuff from bearded dragons dot co and from beautiful dragons, both seem to have pretty good advices on equipment.

[Albert Clark]

Great information and a fantastic reference. Thanks.