Dog Fecal Health Kit

What it screens for

Bacteria and bacterial toxins — the overgrowths and toxin-producing strains behind most sudden digestive upsets. Several can also pass to people.

Viruses — including parvovirus and distemper, the serious ones every dog owner wants ruled out quickly.

Intestinal worms — roundworms, hookworms, whipworm, and tapeworms, detected by their DNA rather than by waiting for an egg to appear under a microscope.

Protozoa — single-cell parasites including Giardia, the classic cause of post-boarding stomach trouble, and coccidia, common in puppies.

See the full target list — 28 targets

Bacteria & toxins

• Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin (CPA) — a common bacterial overgrowth linked to sudden diarrhea
• Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) — the toxin gene tied to more significant disease
• Clostridioides difficile toxin A/B — toxin-driven diarrhea
• Campylobacter jejuni — bacterial diarrhea; can pass to people
• Campylobacter coli — bacterial diarrhea; can pass to people
• Salmonella spp. — bacterial infection; can pass to people

Viruses

• Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) — a serious viral disease, most dangerous in puppies
• Canine distemper virus (CDV) — a multi-system viral disease
• Canine enteric coronavirus (CECoV) — a usually mild viral cause of diarrhea
• Canine circovirus — a virus associated with vomiting and bloody diarrhea

Roundworms

• Toxocara canis — the most common dog roundworm; can pass to people
• Toxocara cati — the cat roundworm, occasionally found in dogs
• Toxascaris leonina — a roundworm of both dogs and cats
• Baylisascaris procyonis — the raccoon roundworm; uncommon, and worth catching early

Hookworms

• Ancylostoma — the most common dog hookworm; can pass to people
• Uncinaria stenocephala — the northern hookworm

Whipworm

• Trichuris vulpis — a common cause of chronic, on-and-off diarrhea

Tapeworms

• Dipylidium caninum — the flea tapeworm, the one owners most often spot
• Taenia spp. — tapeworms picked up from hunting or scavenging
• Echinococcus granulosus — a tapeworm worth catching early; can pass to people
• Echinococcus multilocularis — a rare tapeworm worth catching early; can pass to people

Protozoa

• Giardia spp. — soft, greasy diarrhea; very contagious between pets
• Cystoisospora spp. — coccidia, a common cause of diarrhea in puppies
• Eimeria spp. — coccidia, usually picked up from the environment
• Cryptosporidium spp. — a protozoal parasite causing watery diarrhea
• Cryptosporidium canis — species-level identification of the dog strain
• Cryptosporidium felis — species-level identification of the cat strain
• Neospora caninum — a protozoal parasite dogs pick up from cattle or scavenging

Every sample is processed by PCR in our laboratory. Panels are reviewed and updated by our veterinary advisors as the science evolves.