Stool Sample - I'm embarassed to ask this.

jenwales

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
357
Purraise
11
Location
Maryland
I have had cats for 18 years and have never had to obtain a stool sample for any of them...until now! We just adopted a kitten and the vet wants to check for parasites. I have the little collection container. Do they need a whole, um, product, or just a chunk of one?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

jenwales

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
357
Purraise
11
Location
Maryland
Thank you both! He's a stealth pooper so this should be fun.
 

rad65

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
1,547
Purraise
52
How did you get through 18 years without ever needing a stool sample? That's pretty amazing.
 

my4llma

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
9,556
Purraise
247
18 years without ever having to take a stool sample


You just need a piece, and it should be as fresh as possible!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

jenwales

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
357
Purraise
11
Location
Maryland
Originally Posted by rad65

How did you get through 18 years without ever needing a stool sample? That's pretty amazing.
Weird, I know! I guess I've been lucky.

This kitten is my 5th cat. The first three (Mo, Jack, and Lily) were adopted as adults. #4 (Boo) was 8 months old and then the new guy (Walt). None of my cats have ever had urinary or bowel issues. I've had the same vet since 1994 and this is the first time he suggested a stool sample. Walt is 5 or 6 months old so I guess his age is why the vet wants one.
 

feralvr

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
18,474
Purraise
689
Location
Northwest Indiana
Don't be embarrassed
we love talking poop
. I always put a small (teaspoon size) of the poop in one of those small plastic throw-away containers you get at the store or a plastic lunch bag. Wow, 18 years with no stool checks!! This reminds me, I need to get Magilla's re-checked
 

mimimom

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
1
Purraise
0
Don't forget, if you have to hold the sample overnite until you're able to get to the vets with it- store in fridge in airtight container so it doesn't break down.
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
I do the little baggie and the fridge as well, when necessary. I always drag a stool sample in - twice a year now that my kitties are . Thank goodness, so far it's turned out that the testing hasn't revealed a darn thing out of order.

Hmm, just thought though - I've only had to provide a stool sample once in my life for me! But then again, I'm a little more communicative with my doctor than my kitties are with their doctor.
 

taryn

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
930
Purraise
2
Location
O'Fallon, IL
I only have had to provide one stool sample for me, never ever have a nausea/vomiting/diarrhea allergic reaction to a medication(Zoloft, which I ironically enough have been on before) that requires an ER visit during an e-coli(spinach) outbreak.

Never had to provide one for the cats but since Attitude and Nuts came from outside they figured they were full of worms and just wormed them. Their stools were solid(I used a litter box for them outside and everyone was solid) so no worries of anything else.

Don't worry we love to talk poop and we do it often enough.

Taryn
 

ziggy'smom

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
659
Purraise
42
Originally Posted by jenwales

Weird, I know! I guess I've been lucky.

This kitten is my 5th cat. The first three (Mo, Jack, and Lily) were adopted as adults. #4 (Boo) was 8 months old and then the new guy (Walt). None of my cats have ever had urinary or bowel issues. I've had the same vet since 1994 and this is the first time he suggested a stool sample. Walt is 5 or 6 months old so I guess his age is why the vet wants one.
Ideally any new cat, regardless of age, should have a fecal test to check for any kind of parasites. Worms, especially round worm, is pretty common in cats. Cats that go outside shoulg be dewormed every few months and have a fecal test at least once a year. Indoor cats should also have regular fecals along with their yearly checkups. Even though the risk of worms is less for indoor cats it's not completely eliminated. You can bring in worm eggs in soil on your shoes and if you have dogs they can take it in too.
I'm surprised that your vet has never suggested a fecal before. That should be routine.

Remember that it's always best to have a fresh sample, less than a couple of hours old. If it's older than that it should be kept refrigirated until you go to the vet. Fresh samples should not be refrigirated.
The vet just needs very little poop to do the test so you don't need to get much. If you can't get a stool sample the vet can collect one with a cotton swab but of course that is not very pleasant for the poor cat.
 

kas

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
31
Purraise
1
And I always double bag it and label it for them with the time it was collected. My vet appreciates that!
 
Top