# fecal samples.....anyone do their own?



## freemotion (Sep 14, 2009)

I want to learn to run my own fecal samples.  I am shopping for a microscope, and slides and equipment.  

Anyone else out there do their own fecal tests for worms?  It will cost me $88 to have the vet run fecals on my four goats....just once.  Twice and I have the equipment almost all paid for.

Yes, I will still have the vet do it in emergency illness situations.  I want to monitor worm loads myself, and learn about the different worming programs and herbals, and see what works on my property with my goats.  I think this is the best way to do that.

Anyone else do their own?  Any suggestions before I buy my equipment?


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## trestlecreek (Sep 14, 2009)

Yes, I run my own.
I suggest buying a higher end microscope. The cheapie kid scopes can work, but it is harder to see the images,....
When I first learned,  I would do the fecal myself, then I would take a sample from the same goat into the vet to verify that I was doing it correctly,....


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## miron28 (Sep 14, 2009)

how hard is this to do?


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## trestlecreek (Sep 14, 2009)

Once you are set up to do them, it is not too hard.
You need to have some basic supplies in your kit, a good book or reference for identification of eggs and good eyeballs!
I can dig up some info if no one else has it to share....


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## freemotion (Sep 14, 2009)

The fiascofarm.com site has a good article and some pictures, but I'd like to see more, if you have them!


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## Blackbird (Sep 14, 2009)

http://www.ableoaks.com/books/fecals.html

http://www.goatbiology.com/fecal.html

http://www.triquestboergoats.com/fecaltesting.htm#picture of eggs

I'm just as interested as you Free!

I found a great website with pictures of the types of worms and such, but I lost it!

I have permisson to use the microscopes at the lab my mom works at, I just need to learn how to prepare the fecal, get some slides, and learn what to look for.


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## freemotion (Sep 15, 2009)

Cool!  I found a professional-looking microscope on CL and I will go look at it as soon as I can.  The guy will give me a lesson on how to use it, too.  There was another ad with slides....anyone know if you can re-use slides or if I should grab a HUGE box for $25?


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## ksalvagno (Sep 15, 2009)

I'd grab the huge box for $25 even if you can reuse them. Stuff happens!


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## freemotion (Sep 24, 2009)

I got the microscope and the box of slides....and they threw in a WHOLE CASE of gauze 4x4's!!!  I just need to buy cover slips, but I have most of one box, which should last me a while.

I did my first fecal exam last night.....two, actually.  My first slide was more air bubble than sample.....The second went better then the first, and I'm sure I will get better at it with practice.  I have no instructions with the used microscope, so I am kinda winging it....but once I saw my first worm egg, it got pretty easy to find more.

Wow, getting a goat to poop when you want it to......I got three of them to give me some nanny berries, but Willow kept her legs crossed.....I followed her for about an hour then gave up. 

I hope someone can find me a picture or tell me what it is....there is an egg that kept showing up that is decidedly squarish, and I can't  find a picture of any squarish worm eggs.  Is it maybe a plant fiber cell?  But it more resembles a worm egg.

I will need a bit more practice with the microscope to actually identify the eggs, but it seems.....maybe.....that the worm burden is not too high....I will try to get poo from all four again today and look at all four samples tonight.

This is so cool!  I am such a nerd!


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## savingdogs (Oct 5, 2010)

Blackbird said:
			
		

> I just need to learn how to prepare the fecal


I can explain that! Done it many times with dog and cat, someone correct me here if it is different than goat.

The easiest way is to have the little fecal float containers, I don't think they are very expensive. You crush up a nannie berrie in the little container, and add fecasol (someone on here probably has the recipe, but you can also buy this) until the container is just about spilling over. Then you put a cover slip over the container and wait ten minutes. The eggs would tend to float to the top is the idea here.

After the ten minutes, gently slide the cover slip off and onto a microscope glass slide. You are now ready to look at your slide. Sometimes things are distorted so you need to practice looking at a few before things start to stick out to you. Sometimes things don't look exactly like the pictures, but if you keep looking, you see ones that do.

I'd love to buy a microscope and also some posters with photos of what I'm looking for, that would make it much easier!


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## freemotion (Oct 5, 2010)

Only correction:  Lift the coverslip straight up so as not to distort the way the eggs float up to it.  Otherwise you will scrape them off or all to one end and may lose some.

I have not found a source of the veterinary fecal test containers, but I also don't know EXACTLY what they are called so I have not found them in a search.  I have to admit I haven't spent a whole lot of time searching, though.  I never remember to ask the dog groomer when she comes to groom my dogs...she is a vet tech and does all the ordering at the practice where she works.  Duh.  I should just call her.


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## ()relics (Oct 5, 2010)

McMaster counting slides?  Thats what I use...google the name they are everwhere and not too expensive.


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## freemotion (Oct 5, 2010)

Oh!  I'll see if the vet tech can get me a couple.  Looks handy.


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