Why does the veterinarian want to check a stool sample? Dogs (and
cats) are victims of several intestinal parasites frequently referred to
as worms. The most common are the
roundworms,
hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly
seen in the stool with the unaided eye: roundworms and tapeworms.
Often you will be able to tell if your dog or cat has worms by the
symptoms they are exhibiting. Most worm infestations cause any or all of
these symptoms:
- Diarrhea, perhaps with blood
- Weight loss
- Dry hair
- General poor appearance
- Vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit
However, some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some
worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the pet’s body and activated only
in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until
the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and
infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.
This is precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to
discover which parasite is present; the presence of these worms’ eggs
can often only be detected microscopically.
Keep in mind that it is the goal of each parasite to stay in the
safety of the intestinal tract; if they come out, they’ll die! They
don’t want to be detected!
