Parasitology (Worms, Mites & Ticks) Dog Cat Cow Buffalo Horse

Faecal Sedimentation Test (Fluke Eggs)

A faecal sedimentation test lets heavy fluke eggs settle out of a dung or faeces sample so they can be found under a microscope. It is mostly used to look for liver fluke and rumen fluke in cows and buffaloes.

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

What this test checks

Liver fluke eggs, which are heavy and sink instead of floating
Rumen fluke (amphistome) eggs in the dung of cows and buffaloes
Eggs of other flukes when your vet suspects them in a dog or cat

When your vet may advise it

Cows or buffaloes losing weight or giving less milk without a clear reason
Swelling under the jaw (bottle jaw), pale eyes or a rough coat in grazing animals
Animals that graze near ponds, canals, rivers or waterlogged fields
A dog or cat with long-lasting diarrhoea or weight loss when your vet thinks flukes are possible

About this test

Flukes are flat worms. In cows and buffaloes, liver flukes live in the liver and bile ducts, and rumen flukes live in the rumen, the first part of the stomach. Their eggs are heavy and do not rise well in the usual egg flotation test, so this test washes the sample and lets the eggs settle. Flukes spread through water snails, so animals grazing near ponds, canals or waterlogged fields are more at risk. Dogs and cats can carry flukes, but less often. Young flukes do not lay eggs yet, so an early infection can be missed. A registered veterinarian links the finding to the animal's signs and history.

How to prepare

Collect fresh dung or faeces into a clean closed container, taking the part that has not touched the soil, and keep it cool and shaded. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Questions about Faecal Sedimentation Test (Fluke Eggs)

How do I know if my buffalo has liver fluke?

A dung test called faecal sedimentation can show liver fluke eggs, which helps your vet confirm the problem. Signs such as weight loss, less milk, pale eyes or swelling under the jaw can have other causes too, so the test and an examination by your vet are both important.

Why can a routine dung test miss fluke eggs?

A routine dung test usually floats worm eggs to the top of a liquid, but fluke eggs are too heavy to float well. Sedimentation lets them sink and collect, so they are easier to find. Very early infections still give no eggs, so your vet may repeat the test later.

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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