Fecals.

Do you guys run annual fecals? I feel like a bad owner.. Harlow has never had a fecal done. EVAR. Neither has Rider to my knowledge. Wondering if I should start? Pros/Cons. Is it a good thing to do? We did deworm Rider when he first arrived because the rescue lady recommended it.

They are both neg. for heartworm, and get Heartguard May-October if that makes a difference.

Nope. Fecals are done when there's a problem. That said, all my current pets have had fecals done when we had a bout of Giardia going around.

I'm conflicted on this. On one hand, I know what I could possibly find in a fecal that wouldn't be good for the humans or animals. On the other hand... it's not like fecals are a super thorough thing anyways.

Both of mine have had fecals done. The last time they were done though was only because it was necessary for the CLASS testing we never did.

We never used to recommend annual fecals. Traditionally, up here we have not had massive problems with intestinal parasites.

But over the last several years, there's been an increasing trend for rescues to pull dogs from Southern shelters, and those dogs are bringing their little intestinal friends with them. We started seeing a huge increase in dogs with parasites and started recommending the yearly fecals... most are still negative but we've caught a surprising number of asymptomatic infections.

The down side is that fecals have a relatively high rate of false negatives - 20-30% depending on the source you read. So a negative fecal can cause a false sense of security and even an animal with a problem sometimes takes more than one fecal to find the problem.

I only do them when I suspect an issue. Or, more accurately, when the vet wouldn't give me metronidazole without running one.

We recommend yearly fecals at work but pretty much every single one is negative. I think the only positive samples I've seen were from animals that were having symptoms anyway, and those weren't yearly fecals, those were "your animal is showing signs of parasitic infection, so you should bring in a fecal" samples.

Our vet recommends running a yearly fecal to its clients.

From my own experience, I would say most adult, indoor dogs that are kept on heartworm prevention do not have parasites.

Most puppies, or dogs that are primarily kept outdoors/have issues with eating other animal's feces, do. Roundworm is the most common, but we've had issues with hooks and whips as well. Coccidia and Giardia seem to be a big issue in the puppies we have come in. And, of course, tapeworms, but a fecal check is pretty hit and miss when it comes to seeing tapes.

I would say 75% of the dogs we see don't have parasites, but catching that other 25% is important.

As for my own dogs...meh. LOL They are currently all "up to date" on their fecal checks, but I likely won't reevaluate them unless I suspect a problem.

Meh, if money is tight I typically dont push clients to do it. However it doesnt hurt, if they have never had them done it is a nice peace of mind. It typically doesnt break the bank so I figure might as well.

I think Jackson's had one every year for one reason or another... but I probably won't get one in the future unless there's something else going on. They've been negative every year. I've never seen a point in doing it yearly, it just so happens that I'll somehow end up doing one. Like, last November, it was just part of his 'yearly' - I was paying for it, so might as well bring some in, ya know? And the year before, he had a stomach/GI issue so had a fecal, etc.

I have them done once as pups to make sure they don't have anything. That's it unless there's an issue though. Giardia and Coccidia tests run as much as the fecals typically, so I don't see the point unless I suspect something or I'm breaking bank.

yearly. and I didn't realize that wasn't normal.

Oh, yah, my vet tells you to bring in a sample with you to the annual. But it costs extra and I'm cheap, even with my awesome discount LOL

Birds yes, dogs no. There is a training center locally that requires a negative fecal, so Jack did have one done when we took a class there.

nope. If my dogs are having some kind of a health problem then we do, other than that we just deworm on a schedule or if we see worms.

Yes, every year. It's like an extra $20--it's worth it to me to catch something if it's there. Lucy is constantly going to dog parks, agility trials, hikes, swimming in weird water, eating cat poop, etc. She's at high risk for creepy crawlies.

One year they did find some wormy thing in there, so I'm glad we do it.

no but they are all on heartworm preventative year-round, which is also a monthly intestinal parasite dewormer.

Wait, should I be deworming my dogs other than heartworm meds?

I wouldn't, unless you really have reason to. Like people with outdoor cats usually just do regular dewormings since more than likely, the cat has caught something while it's out and about hunting and whatnot.
Heartgard just also takes care of roundworms and hookworms, if your dog were to be exposed to those, so if you give Heartgard monthly then you're also deworming.


We try to remember to tell people to bring in fecal samples when they schedule vaccine appointments. Most people don't bring one though, probably because they're just not used to it since it's kind of a newer thing for this clinic to recommend them. I really only make a point to emphasize it more with new puppies/kittens.

My current vet does fecals yearly as part of the annual exam. My last vet did not. I don't mind them, I bring one because they ask, but would only want one/ask for one if there was some intestinal issues going on.

And if they didn't get one as a puppy...?

I don't unless there is an issue (never ending diarrhea,for example). My dogs don't go anywhere where there is strange dog poop