hi, i just called the vet, and they say they would do fecals for $30. but then they said the droppings has to be fresh and not dry. that is where i have a problem, they gecko does its business in the late evenings as far as i could tell. all i know is i leave for school around 2pm, and when i get home at 9, there it is. the vet is opened from 10-6pm. so i don't know how i can get a fresh sample to them. i would have to take a sample when i get home from school, and take it the vet the next day. is there a way to keep the droppings fresh? fridge? thanks.
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how to keep droppings fresh for the vet?
violentxuprising
Jul 21, 2004 06:45 PM
Replies (3)
zmantrio
Jul 21, 2004 06:55 PM
ive tried refrigerating them but it never works. The vet told me they have to be within 24 hours freash.
xelda
Jul 21, 2004 07:34 PM
Get a sample while it's still wet, put it on a paper towel, and then seal it up in a Ziploc bag. Then refrigerate it. Refrigeration will slow down any eggs from hatching into larvae which is important because flotations test for eggs. Try to have it tested ASAP; within 24 hours is the best.
Make sure the poop doesn't dry before it reaches the vet because this can cause any parasitic eggs to die or degenerate. You can dampen the paper towel if you need to do.
$30 seems like a lot. It should be half that price. Is this for a flotation AND a direct smear? That would be more reasonable since it would be like two fecal tests (which is better).
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5.8 leopard geckos
chickabowwow
violentxuprising
Jul 21, 2004 09:46 PM
i dont know what the $30 covers, i just as if they did fecal, and how much. i will ask around some different vets tomorrow. but as far as the timing, i can get the stool to a vet in 24 hours, i would just come home around 9pm on the evening, get the stool out of the cage and onto a wet paper towel, then in a ziploc bag, and into the fridge, and i would take it in the morning. but when i get home at 9pm, the stool is already there, and i dont know how long it had been sitting out in the cage. because i leave my house around 2pm when there is no stool yet, so it could've deficated right when i leave, or at 8pm for all i know. so i dont know if it is going to be fresh enough when i go to get it at 9, or if all the parasites and organisms would've already die. if nothing else, i would have to go after summer school is out in 3 weeks, then my afternoons will be cleared up, and i can retrieve the stool fresh and preserve if needed, or take it right down to the vet. thanks for the help.
