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165 results for “Fecal exam”
How does a dog get infected with coccidia?
Dogs catch coccidia by licking an infected dog's feces or contaminated food/water, or by picking up oocysts while playing in grass; the oocysts develop in the gut and multiply. Signs include soft stools, diarrhea, reduced appetite, low fever, weight loss, slow growth, anemia, and dehydration — a fecal exam and sulfadimethoxine treatment are needed.
Dog Passed No Worms After Dewormer—Did It Fail?
Not seeing worms in the stool after a dewormer doesn't mean it didn't work. Modern dewormers break down parasites inside the gut so they're absorbed or passed invisibly, and many infections are simply too light—or involve microscopic protozoa—to ever show. Visible worms usually mean a heavy prior infection. The real proof is your dog's condition and a fecal exam, not what you see in the tray.
What causes a cat to pass blood in its stool?
Blood in a cat's stool can come from acute gastroenteritis, panleukopenia (feline distemper), or a parasite infection, and only screening confirms which. Get a vet work-up - blood count, distemper antigen, fecal exam - then treat the cause: gastroenteritis or distemper usually needs fluid therapy, while parasites are handled by deworming.
Why Your Cat Keeps Retching
Repeated retching means something is wrong — most often a hairball, a swallowed foreign object, or gut parasites. Expel hairballs with paste, get any stuck object removed by a vet, and deworm on schedule to keep parasites off the table.
Preparing for a New Dog at Home
Bringing a dog home means setting up the environment, safety, and diet first, then handling health — a check-up about a week in, a vaccination plan, and deworming once the dog has settled. Prepare food and water bowls, a cozy bed, and chew toys before the dog arrives.
Health Checkups by Life Stage for Cats and Dogs
Pets can't tell us when they're ill, so regular checkups catch hidden disease. Kittens and puppies need basics plus parasite and vaccine screens; adults add bloodwork and imaging; seniors (cats over 10, older dogs) need broader panels—blood chemistry, X-ray, ultrasound, heart, and blood-pressure checks—ideally every six months.
What to Do When a Cat Eliminates Outside the Litter Box
A cat that shuns the box is usually acting out from stress, heat, or a genuine illness—punishing it backfires and only deepens the fear. Rule out a new environment, a cat in heat, medical causes (cystitis, UTI, parasites), box aversion, or multi-cat crowding, then fix the trigger and clean the scent with enzymatic solution.
Why Does a Cat Get Diarrhea After a Bath?
Post-bath diarrhea usually comes from poor digestion, stress, or getting chilled. Mild cases respond to probiotics and a calm, warm space; if it turns watery and frequent, see a vet to rule out gastroenteritis, parasites, or panleukopenia—especially in unvaccinated cats, where dehydration and low blood sugar can be fatal.
What to Give a Dog for Diarrhea (and What Works Fast)
Diarrhea treatment starts with identifying the cause from the stool: loose yellow stool usually means a chill, yellow-black stool with debris calls for a 24-hour fast, and black soy-sauce-like stool points to a sugary diet. Puppy diarrhea has six common triggers — from overfeeding to parvovirus — and the right fix is gut rest, fasting, and medication rather than blind dosing.
What If Your Cat Still Has Soft Stool After Deworming?
Soft stool has many causes: irritating or overeaten food (fragile kitten guts cause poor digestion, soft stool, even diarrhea), parasite infection, early feline distemper, etc. Owners can first give some probiotics to settle the gut.