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

Lungworm Larvae Detection (Baermann Test)

A Baermann test collects live lungworm larvae from fresh faeces with a water funnel, so they can be seen under a microscope. It can help your vet check whether lungworm is behind a cough in cattle, buffaloes or dogs.

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

What this test checks

Live lungworm larvae that move out of fresh faeces into water
Lungworm larvae of cattle and buffaloes, such as Dictyocaulus
Lungworm larvae in a dog when your vet suspects them as a cause of cough

When your vet may advise it

Young cattle or buffaloes coughing, especially after grazing on wet pasture
Several animals in a group with fast breathing, cough or poor growth
A dog with a long-lasting cough or tiring easily, when lungworm is possible

About this test

Lungworms are thin worms that live in the airways and lungs. In cattle and buffaloes they mostly affect young grazing animals, causing coughing and fast or hard breathing. In dogs, lungworm is one of several possible causes of a cough that will not settle. Their larvae (baby worms) are coughed up, swallowed and passed in faeces. In the Baermann test, the sample sits in a funnel of water so that live larvae crawl out and sink to the bottom. Dung that has lain on the ground can hold larvae of other worms, which confuses the result. A registered veterinarian interprets the finding together with the animal's cough and history.

How to prepare

Bring dung or faeces that is as fresh as possible, ideally taken from the rectum, in a clean closed container. Do not refrigerate or freeze it. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Questions about Lungworm Larvae Detection (Baermann Test)

Can a dung test show lungworm in calves?

Yes, the Baermann test can show lungworm larvae in fresh dung from coughing calves. Larvae are not passed all the time, and very early infections may give none, so a negative result does not always rule lungworm out. Your vet may repeat the test or use other checks.

Why should the dung sample not be kept in the fridge?

The Baermann test only works if the larvae are alive and able to move out of the sample. Cold can stop them moving, so the result may come out negative even when lungworms are present. Keep the sample shaded and bring it to the lab as advised when you book.

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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