Site Accessibility Features: Skip to page menus
Site Menus Section Skip to page content
Fecal flotation is a routine veterinary test used to diagnose internal parasites or worms. The test detects the eggs of mature parasites that live inside the body and pass their eggs to the outside by shedding them into the host's stool. Some of these parasites are worm-like, while others are tiny single-celled organisms called protozoa. Most of the parasites live in the intestine, but a few live elsewhere in the body.
Stool material is mixed with a special liquid that causes the parasite eggs to float to the surface. The eggs are collected from the surface using a glass slide. The slide is examined under a microscope, and the appearance of the eggs identifies what type of adult parasite is present.
The number of eggs found may reflect the severity of the infection, but this is not always reliable.
All that is needed is about a one-inch piece of fresh stool. Ideally, the stool sample should be no more than 24 hours old and should be as free as possible of grass, gravel, kitty litter, etc. Your veterinarian may provide a container to collect the sample, but any clean, dry container with a tightly fitting lid can be used, such as a jar or plastic tub.
Kittens and puppies are frequently infected with intestinal parasites and are susceptible to re-infection. Therefore, multiple fecal flotations are recommended for young puppies and kittens. Pet owners should bring a fresh stool sample to each appointment for the initial series of veterinary visits. If a pet is found to have parasites, follow-up fecal flotations may be recommended to monitor the response to treatment.
Fecal flotation may also be recommended if a pet develops diarrhea or fails to gain weight as expected. Mature pets on year-round heartworm prevention medication are less likely to be infected with parasites due to the added parasite prevention in these products.
A yearly fecal flotation done as part of the annual check-up is usually sufficient to monitor healthy adult pets. However, more frequent fecal testing will likely be recommended if an adult pet is not on year-round prevention, develops diarrhea, eats raw food, exhibits unexplained weight loss, or has a history of recurrent parasitic infections.
No. Fecal flotation is only a basic screening test and may fail to detect infection in some situations.
A fecal flotation test may fail to detect parasite infection because:
Yes. Fecal flotation is just the first step. If repeat fecal flotation tests are negative and a parasitic infection is still suspected, then your veterinarian may recommend other tests such as doing a fecal wet mount, using concentration methods, using stool preservatives, or doing a fecal Baermann.
© Copyright 2025 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license. This content written by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.) is licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written consent of LifeLearn. This content does not contain all available information for any referenced medications and has not been reviewed by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, or Health Canada Veterinary Drugs Directorate. This content may help answer commonly asked questions, but is not a substitute for medical advice, or a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by a veterinarian. Please contact your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health. Last updated on Aug 6, 2024.
Site Sidebar: Skip to end of sidebar
Search Articles
Filter By Species
View All
© 2025 Glen Park Animal Hospital. Provided by Patterson | Powered by LifeLearn WebDVM