Excuse Me, You Left This in the Waiting Room


Someone came into my exam room with a brown paper bag in hand that they were eager to deliver. Yeah, it stunk a little, but I was happy to get it and told them so. Fecal samples are submitted to our clinic at a rate of nearly a hundred per week, and this is how their day generally goes:


First, they’re unceremoniously scooped up from their natural surroundings at an unholy hour of the morning, because the freshest poop sample will yield the best results. As any veterinarian knows, garbage in = garbage out. If you bring an older sample to the clinic, we might not get accurate information, particularly if your pet is ill. Stool samples are often forgotten in the car or in the waiting room because of their diminished status in society. Usually, they are retrieved in time. They’re hastily transferred to the vet or vet assistant, often with a grimace, again because of their perceived lack of worth. A hard-sided container is not necessary for transport of the sample; zipper bags perform just fine and act as a glove if you start with them inside-out.


Now, once we have accepted your gift, the first step is to visually examine the sample. If we can see roundworms or tapeworm babies with the naked eye, we already have part of the lab report in hand. The vast majority of intestinal parasites are never seen with the naked eye, however. The next step is for the specimen to be shaved down in size. Look at the last section of your thumb. An accurate reading can be gathered from one piece this size, whether it comes from a Chihuahua or a mastiff. If you really think you have small fingers, bring two.


The stool samples sit patiently in a waiting area for their ride, which comes in the form of a driver from the diagnostic lab. They are whisked off to laboratory technicians miles away, which is farther than most poop ever gets to travel. Once there, they go for a quick spin in the centrifuge, mixed with a special solution that causes useless debris to fall to the bottom. At the top? Valuable parasite eggs, which will be carefully examined and recorded by the technician. That person will contact your doctor with the results, and a treatment plan will be devised to clear your pet and protect you personally from any unwanted sharing. A conventional exam of this specimen may reveal roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, or tapeworms. It may also show protozoan (one-celled) parasites such as giardia and coccidia. Using the same sample with slightly different materials, respiratory worms may also be revealed. Note that bacteria are too small to be seen on a conventional stool sample.


This test can shed light on a variety of intestinal maladies. So you see, the humble stool sample deserves a lot more of your respect than it’s been getting. Next time, don’t be ashamed of your brown paper bag.


Dr. M. S. Regan