How to do your own fecal tests for reptiles

Status
Not open for further replies.

ChamNW

Hatchling Member
Here is our recommendations for microscope and materials for doing fecals in your own lab or home:

Microscope from Amscope. Model M200-P Magification of 40x, 100x, and 400x. digital camera (640x480resolution) works with computer. Add the optional mechanical slide control. Here are the links

Amscope Homepage http://www.amscope.com/DigitalHP.html

Microscope we recommend: http://store.amscope.com/m200-usb.html
Mechanical slide: http://store.amscope.com/msa.html

Feca-med solution for fecal tests: http://www.petsupplies4less.com/sbsite.php?search_query=feca-med

Slides and coverslips: You can get these on Ebay of course but here is a website that sells both the slides and coverslips, and also the vials for doing the fecal floats.
Slides: http://www.onlinesciencemall.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/1920519/vpcsid/0/SFV/30852
3.5 dram vials This is much cheaper and just as effective as a fecalyzer vial that the vet uses:
http://www.onlinesciencemall.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/1787189/vpcsid/0/SFV/30852

The best book I know of to learn about parasites is "Understanding Reptile Parasites" by Roger Klingenberg, DVM. It is available on beanfarm at http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=1745342.13760&p_id=12158&xm=on or maybe Amazon.

They also sell a plastic covered chart for helping to identify the parasites
http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=1745342.13760&p_id=12162&xm=on


You also need toothpicks for stirring the poop in the fecamed, vinyl gloves, and disinfecting wipes for cleaning up around your work and microscope.

Here is the guidelines for doing fecal tests for parasites.
This is the float method.
1. Put on your vinyl gloves.
2. Collect a fresh specimen for testing, about the size of a raisin, and put it into the 3.5 dram plastic vial
3. Label the lid of the vial with the name of the animal if you are doing more than one sample.
4. Put the vial on your work surface with a paper towel or tissue underneath to catch the spills.
5. Fill the vial up half way with fecamed.
6. Smash up the specimen in the fecamed solution until it is all broken up and suspended in the solution.
7. Now fill up the vial until the liquid is a bit higher than the rim and if you put any more in it would overflow.
8. Place a coverslip, which is the little very thin piece of glass that come with the slide, right on top of the vial.
9. Some of the solution will overflow now if you had enough in the vial for it to work. You have to have direct contact between the coverslip and the liquid.
10. Allow this to sit for a minimum of 10 minutes for the parasites to float to the surface and they will collect on the underside of the coverslip.
11. Now pick the coverslip up and very quickly put it down onto the glass slide, with the wet side down. This is tricky because if you have a chunk of cricket shell or a leg part it will be too big between the two glasses to allow you accurately see what is in the liquid. So you can kind of scrape the larger pieces off the edge of the slide without losing all the liquid. The parasites will be in the liquid if there are any. There will always be chucks of unidentified floating debris and you can smash down the coverslip to crush some stuff. But the big chunky stuff won’t smash so you try to keep it out.
12. Now you place the slide in the microscope and begin to focus and look for parasites. Check what you suspect may be a parasite against the chart in Dr. K’s book or his parasite id chart.
13. You will basically work at 100x magnification all the time. You only go to 400x if you find a parasite and want to closely examine it to identify it correctly. Some coccidia is clearer at 400x. But once you get experienced with this, you can spot them right off and know what kind they are without going to 400x. Some parasites are only visible at 1000x with special stains like crypto but we are not testing for that with this method.
14. The other method of doing fecal tests is a smear. You just take some fresh material, just a tiny bit and put it on the slide. Mix it with some distilled water using a toothpick and apply a dry coverslip. This way the parasites are alive. You can also use a drop of Lugol’s iodine (hard to find) or merthiolate (any drug store) to stain the parasites and make them more visible. But of course the stains kill the parasite.
15. If you find parasites, shoot a picture with your digital microscope for the record.
16. To be thorough, check a lot of the slide, not just a view or two.
17. Keep a record of how many parasites you see per VIEW. Not per slide. Use a range. Like <1/100x means one parasite but not in every view as you move around the slide. 5-10/100x means you see between 5 and 10 per view at 100x magnification.
18. Discard the slide and slip, clean everything with disinfecting wipes and be sure to scrub your hands!
 

pscaulkins

Extreme Poster
I have an Amscope but not that one you listed. I also have the camera.

Also http://www.beautifuldragons.com carries everything to do a fecal and she sends written instructions on doing a float when you order the kits. She also carries the parasite ID laminated page. I always get my slides and coverslips from her as she is very fast in shipping.

One thing I would like to comment on is I do not recommend treating without consulting your vet. I have been doing fecals for quite a while and I still consult my vet over the phone.
 

RioReptiles

Sub-Adult Member
I like buying supplies from Beautiful Dragons because it helps fund her rescue organization. She is also very helpful if you have questions or need information in addtion to being prompt with shipping and having low prices. Kudos!
 

ChamNW

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Thanks guys for the reference to Beautiful Dragons. When people ask I shall have to refer them to their site. Their prices on the scopes are very good too.
 

fresnowitte

BD.org Sicko
Okay ChamNW I have a stupid question. :oops:
I could totally handle doing my own fecals on my beardies and boy would it save me money sense I have 7 and the 2-headed boys an I paw thru their poops on a regular basis. :puke: But here's my lame question. :oops:

If the fecal comes back positive for any parasites how do you get the med's? Do you then need to pay the vet to do another fecal so you can obtain the med's?...........Do they just take your word for it? Or is there someplace to purchase these med's without going to the vet?
Of course I would still consult my vet or Dr. Wentz but I'm just curious.
 

pscaulkins

Extreme Poster
If the fecal comes back positive for any parasites how do you get the med's? Do you then need to pay the vet to do another fecal so you can obtain the med's?...........Do they just take your word for it? Or is there someplace to purchase these med's without going to the vet?
Of course I would still consult my vet or Dr. Wentz but I'm just curious.

Not if you have a good relationship with your vet. All I have to do is call his office. My vet even gave me some coverslips because mine were defective and I seen some weird things I could not identify. Since Semi had to go in anyway for xrays, I brought his fecal. Come to find out it was clear and my vet said it sometimes happens.

Panacur can be purchased at any animal feed store. I think beautiful dragons has both panacur and albon.
 

Zemanski

Hatchling Member
with the pc ocular attached (I have a bresser biolux ng 40x - 1024x that my father bought for the kids to play with :roll: ) you can take photos on the pc and take them to the vet, or even send them by email
 

ChamNW

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
fresnowitte said:
Okay ChamNW I have a stupid question. If the fecal comes back positive for any parasites how do you get the med's?

Barbara
I am all into natural homeopathic or holisitic approaches to medecine.
We breed chameleons, with about 150 animals in our facility and we use Reptaid to treat any of our animals that have a medical or health situation. We were asked to come on this forum to answer questions about Reptaid by another member of the forum. There is an extensive thread you can read in the ForSale section called " Reptaid - Amazing Health Product For Dragons!! ". Most of your questions will be answered if you will read throught that thread. And post any question there if you have one.
thanks
Elliot
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,896
Messages
1,255,655
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom