Doing Fecal Floats at Home

[aart]

No, it is there and works correctly if you are a member of FB.

Yep, it's there and I was accepted to the group,
but there is a new post today about a new platform(for odd reasons IMO),
admin says it's 'just another option' but....<shrugs>
I don't know enough about the people there to assess whether they'll all go or just some or none. Take look and let me know what you think.

 

[getaclue]

I clicked the link, logged in, sent my request to join, and have been accepted to the floaters club. Thanks for posting the link.

 

[casportpony]

This vet says centrifugation is the way to go http://www.capcvet.org/expert-articles/why-fecal-centrifugation-is-better/

This link is broken, so I used wayback, found an old version, copy/pasted, and printed it to pdf.

Spoiler: Article - click to open

Why Fecal Centrifugation is Better
by Byron L. Blagburn, MS, PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Gastrointestinal parasites are not only primary disease agents in companion animals, some are also transmissible to people. Of all the diagnostic techniques used to detect gastrointestinal parasites, none is more accurate and reliable than centrifugal fecal flotation when it is performed properly. I think it is safe to say that if you or the commercial laboratory you submit samples to is not using centrifugal flotation procedures, you are probably underdiagnosing parasites.

Fecal Flotation Basics
Fecal flotation separates parasites and objects in feces based on their differential densities. Flotation solutions are soluble preparations of either sugar or salt in water. When sugar or salt is dissolved at increasing concentrations, the density (measured as specific gravity) increases. When passive or tabletop flotation is used, parasite ova or cysts whose densities are less than that of the flotation solution will overcome gravity and rise to the surface (buoyant force). Objects that are of greater density than the solution will sink to the bottom. However, when flotation preparations are spun in a centrifuge, a much greater force is placed on the heavier objects, allowing for a more rapid and efficient separation of parasites and debris.

What You’ll Need
For effective centrifugal flotation, you need at least 1 g of formed feces, which is a cube that is 1/2 in on each side, or 2 g of soft feces. Use a flotation solution with a density (specific gravity) between 1.18 and 1.27. Veterinary practices often choose sodium nitrate (specific gravity 1.18 to 1.20) because it is easily obtained commercially. Many parasitology laboratories prefer to use a sucrose solution prepared at a specific gravity of 1.27. You can obtain sucrose flotation solution in 500-m1 and 1-gal containers from Jorgensen Laboratories (Sheather’s sugar flotation solution). As for the centrifuge, use one with either a swinging bucket or fixed-angle rotor.

Swinging Bucket
To use a swinging bucket centrifuge, mix the feces and flotation solution in centrifuge tubes, and place the tubes in opposing buckets in the rotor. Carefully add flotation solution to the tubes to create a reverse meniscus. Then gently apply a coverslip to each tube by first contacting one side of the tube and then slowly lowering the coverslip, reducing the angle over the meniscus. Next, gradually increase the rotor’s speed to a maximum of 800 rpm. To do this, the centrifuge must have a dial, knob, or digital entry button that allows incremental increases in speed. In my experience, the sucrose solution retains the coverslip on the tube better than less viscous solutions such as sodium nitrate will. Spin the sample for 10 minutes, and allow the machine to stop without touching the rotor. Remove the coverslip, place it on a slide, and scan it for parasites.

An In-Class Experiment
So what proof do we have that centrifugal flotation is better than passive flotation? I perform an interesting exercise every year in my parasitology class by using a fecal sample from a dog with a hookworm burden typical of what practitioners would see in pet dogs. The students are divided into three groups. One group performs a direct smear, another group mixes 2 g of feces with flotation solution and performs a passive flotation procedure, and the third group uses 2 g of feces and performs the centrifugal flotation procedure.

Each year the results are graphic. Usually only 25% of the students performing the direct smear recover hookworm eggs. About 70% of the students performing the passive flotation procedure report seeing hookworm eggs. And every year, without exception, 100% of the students performing the centrifugal flotation procedure report recovering hookworm eggs. This simple exercise convinces my students of the improved sensitivity of centrifugation. Improved recovery rates using centrifugal flotation procedures are also substantiated by published studies.1-4

Conclusion
Now that prepared flotation solutions and high-quality, inexpensive swinging bucket centrifuges can be purchased from several commercial sources, it is much easier to adopt centrifugal flotation techniques. It doesn’t require much cost, effort, or time to improve your parasite detection technique with this important diagnostic procedure.

REFERENCES
1 Blagburn BL, Butler JM. Optimize intestinal parasite detection with centrifugal fecal flotation. Vet Med 2006;101(7):455-464.

2 Dryden MW, Payne PA, Ridley R, et al, Comparison of common fecal flotation techniques for the recovery of parasite eggs and oocysts. Vet Ther 2005;6:15-28.

3 Dryden MW, Payne PA, Smith V. Accurate diagnosis of Giardia spp and proper fecal examination procedures. Vet Ther 2006;7:4-14.

4 Zajac A, Johnson J, King S. Evaluation of the importance of centrifugation as a component of zinc sulfate fecal flotation examinations. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2002;38:221-224.



Originally printed in Supplement to Veterinary Medicine, June, 2008, and used by permission.

Byron L. Blagburn, MS, PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849. Dr. Blagburn is past-president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council

 

[aart]

Just saw this posted on FB.

 

[casportpony]

Just saw this posted on FB.

Really? Just now?

 

[casportpony]

Here's another:
https://capcvet.org/articles/avoiding-common-pitfalls-in-fecal-examinations/
"
AVOIDING COMMON PITFALLS IN FECAL EXAMINATIONS
Email this PagePrint this Page
A “fecal” may seem like one of the more humble tasks performed in a veterinary hospital. That does not diminish the importance of this examination, which can provide valuable information on the health status of veterinary patients. Parasite diagnosis and monitoring are vital to pet health and the health of pet owners, given the zoonotic potential of many parasites.

Skill in the conduct and interpretation of fecal examinations is important if internal parasites are to be accurately diagnosed and effectively treated. The performance of reliable and accurate fecal examinations requires a knowledge of the procedures, a thorough familiarity with the important parasites of dogs and cats, and an understanding of how to use this information in a reliable parasite control strategy.

It’s easy to become complacent about parasite management—especially management of internal parasites. We now have highly effective products that prevent gastrointestinal parasites. Nevertheless, research indicates common canine and feline gastrointestinal parasites remain prevalent, due to everything from poor owner compliance to the limitations of “seasonal” prevention. Whatever the reason, the only way to monitor pets for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites is to conduct fecal examinations regularly and properly.

CAPC Guidelines Address Timing, Technique
I have been a member of the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) since it was formed in 2002. Fellow members include parasitologists from other veterinary colleges, as well as specialists in veterinary internal medicine, public health, veterinary practice and veterinary law. We share a common concern that current practices have not adequately addressed the prevention, treatment and monitoring of internal and external parasites.

How well a fecal examination is conducted can profoundly affect the health of veterinary patients and their families. It also can directly impact the success of a practice itself, particularly if prevention and diagnosis of parasites have been overlooked.

Surprisingly, a number of factors involved in fecal examinations can directly affect the accuracy of results. Consider some of the following examples:

Procedure type. One of the most important factors in proper fecal examination technique is the type of procedure employed. Fecal examination procedures likely to be accepted and implemented in most veterinary practices include flotation (centrifugal or simple), sedimentation and direct examination. While simple flotation is the most common examination procedure used in veterinary hospitals, it is not as sensitive and accurate as centrifugal flotation, the method recommended in the CAPC guidelines. The reason is that centrifugal flotation more effectively separates parasites from fecal debris and decreases the time required to do this.

In a recent study conducted at Kansas State University by CAPC member Dr. Michael Dryden, veterinary students were given positive roundworm and hookworm samples and asked to perform fecal examinations using one of three techniques: (1) direct smear, (2) simple flotation or (3) centrifugal flotation. In every instance, only centrifugal flotation techniques achieved an acceptable level of accuracy.1 In some cases, less than a third of the positive samples were identified using the other techniques.

Fecal sample size and consistency. Size matters, and too small a sample can compromise results. While fecal loops or rectal thermometers often are used to obtain samples, the average sample size obtained with these methods is only about one-tenth of a gram. In fact, the ideal sample size for testing is one gram of formed feces (a cube measuring approximately one-half inch on a side). Examination of feces containing a higher fluid content (soft, unformed or diarrheic feces) requires a larger sample, since liquid dilutes parasite eggs.

In a number of cases, sample size and consistency cannot be controlled. What’s important to remember is that the likelihood of false negatives can rise substantially when the sample size is inadequate.

Flotation solutions. The density of the different flotation solutions can affect parasite egg and larvae recovery. The desired specific gravity of a flotation solution is 1.18 to 1.20 g/mL; the range of densities of common canine and feline internal parasites is 1.06 to 1.20. It’s important to remember that whipworm ova are among the densest parasite eggs. If you do not prepare and maintain fecal flotation solutions properly, you run the risk of underdiagnosing infections.

Improving the Accuracy of Fecal Examinations
What seems like an easy and commonplace exam in a veterinary hospital is actually a very complex diagnostic procedure that depends on a variety of factors for accuracy. "

 

[aart]

Really? Just now?

Yup, within an hour.

 

[KsKingBee]

Yup, within an hour.

Sharing is caring.

 

[KsKingBee]

Might have been in The Floaters Club on FB, but that is just a guess.

 

[aart]

Might have been in The Floaters Club on FB, but that is just a guess.

It was.