Parasitology (Worms, Mites & Ticks) Dog Cat

Faecal Direct Smear (Protozoa)

A faecal direct smear checks a tiny amount of very fresh faeces under a microscope for moving protozoa, such as Giardia, in dogs and cats. It can help your vet find a cause of diarrhoea, but the sample must be fresh.

Sample: Fresh faeces
Quantity: As advised
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

Moving Giardia trophozoites, the active form of this gut parasite
Other moving protozoa, such as Tritrichomonas in cats
Some worm eggs, although a flotation test is better for finding those

When your vet may advise it

Diarrhoea in a puppy or kitten, or loose faeces that keeps coming back
Soft, pale, greasy or very smelly faeces in a dog or cat
A cat with long-lasting diarrhoea with mucus, straining or a sore bottom
A new pet from a shelter, breeder or crowded home that has loose faeces

About this test

Protozoa are germs made of a single cell. Some, such as Giardia, live in the gut and can cause soft, smelly or long-lasting diarrhoea, and in cats a protozoan called Tritrichomonas can cause loose faeces. In a direct smear, a little faeces is mixed with a drop of salt water on a slide and checked for the active, moving forms, called trophozoites. These forms are fragile, so the sample must be very fresh. Protozoa are not passed in every stool, so a negative smear does not rule them out. A registered veterinarian decides what the smear result means for your dog or cat.

How to prepare

Call the lab before you collect the sample, because it must be checked soon after it is passed. Use a clean closed container and wash your hands afterwards. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Questions about Faecal Direct Smear (Protozoa)

Can a stool test find Giardia in dogs?

Yes, a direct smear of very fresh faeces can show moving Giardia, and it is one of several stool tests for this parasite. Shedding comes and goes, so if the smear is negative but the diarrhoea goes on, your vet may ask for repeat samples or a different Giardia test.

Why must the faeces sample be so fresh for this test?

The test looks for protozoa that are still moving, and these active forms stop moving and break down soon after the faeces leaves the body. An old or dried sample can give a negative result even when the parasite is present.

Before you book this test

Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.

Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.

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