The Scoop on Poop: Faecal diagnostics in dogs and cats

Authors: Courtman NF, Francis EK, Worthing K
Publication: Australian Veterinary Practitioner, Volume 55, Issue 3, pp 94-105, Sep 2025
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

Animal type: Cat, Dog
Article class: Review Article

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Abstract:

Introduction: Faecal testing is commonly performed as part of a diagnostic workup for dogs and cats with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea. In a retrospective study of 136 dogs with chronic diarrhoea, 13% of cases were diagnosed as having an infectious cause, however care should be taken in over-interpretation of data. Faecal testing including faecal float is an important first step in taking a step-wise approach to the diagnostic workup of dogs and cats with chronic small or large diarrhoea where the owners are cost-constrained, with faecal float recommended as the first step in cases of small and large bowel diarrhoea, along with faecal gram stains, wet mounts and Giardia testing for dogs with chronic large bowel diarrhoea. There is some debate in veterinary gastroenterology how truly pathogenic Giardia is in immunocompetent animals, and again caution is advised in attributing GI signs exclusively to this pathogen.

This review summarises the currently available faecal tests in Australia and provides guidelines on their utility and interpretation. For most faecal tests, samples should be as fresh as possible and ideally collected as part of the animal examination, as collection of samples from the animal's environment risks confounding of the results by environmental contaminants or submission of another animal's sample in multi-pet households, as well as deterioration of the sample with exposure to the environment.

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