# difficulty collecting a stool sample



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

One of my frogs I would like to send a stool sample in to the vet, but the frog is anorexic and getting it to eat is a hit or a miss.

Also, is it okay to collect stool samples directly from the vivarium? In the past, I've put frogs on paper towels to prevent inaccuracies from benign soil fauna. However, I face this problem all the time when I have frogs I want tested that don't eat enough to get a sample. I end up stressing the frog out after several days of not getting a sample when I put it in a separate container.

Any suggestions?


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

also, does anyone know if fecal samples will be damaged if shipped in freezing temperatures? At this time of the year, it's freezing, but there isn't anything I can do about the weather.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I think, if the frog isn't eating, a tank collected sample would be better than nothing. Don't know about the freezing thing.


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## pa.walt (Feb 16, 2004)

about the freezing frog poop. you could always ask the place you are sending it to. see if it would hurt it.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

frogface said:


> I think, if the frog isn't eating, a tank collected sample would be better than nothing. Don't know about the freezing thing.


Make sure the vet knows it was tank collected otherwise there is a possibility of getting an incorrect fecal reading since there are going to be contaminents from the tank... 

It is highly probable that if there is something in one frog, all of the frogs in the tank will have it.... Pull several of them and group the fecals.

Keep in mind that mailing fecals isn't ideal since protozoans will die off, and other things that provide cues as to other issues (say coccidia) like red blood cells will decompose. 

Some comments 

Ed


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I asked my local exotic vet about mailing fecals because I was trying to find another source for the community at large. She said they would prefer that the fecals be taken to any vet and then the results sent to her or an exotic vet for diagnosis and treatment. Apparently just about any of them can identify stuff in poo. I think Ed has told us this before. 

Also, if you live in an area with agriculture, you can probably find a lab around that can do the fecals.

After all the shipping and moving around of Bill's frogs, I took a sample into my local vet and she had me collect from each of the tanks, just to get a cursory look at the whole collection.


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## wesleybrouwer (Apr 17, 2010)

You might try it by soaking you're frog in a luke warm bath,
after about 5 minutes, get it out and place it in a cup with some moist cottonwool on the bottom.
9 out of 10 times they will give you a sample within a short period of time.
I always take the cottonwool, fold it up, wrap it in a small plastic bag, put it in a filmcanister and put on the lid.
If it's cold outside, you might wrap it in bubble foil (no idea what you call it)
or put it in an enveloppe where this is integrated.
Won't help against long periods of freezing temperatures, but it's the best you can do.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

> Make sure the vet knows it was tank collected otherwise there is a possibility of getting an incorrect fecal reading since there are going to be contaminents from the tank...
> 
> It is highly probable that if there is something in one frog, all of the frogs in the tank will have it.... Pull several of them and group the fecals.
> 
> ...


Really? I never knew that when I sent in fecals. I send stuff to Dr. David Frye. And, he told me that it is okay to mail samples in freezing weather as long as it gets to him in 2-3 days.

I guess I could ask my local vet, but they will send it off to a lab at Kansas State University. 

Wesley, what temperature are you talking about? I need samples from mantellas, and too warm of a temperature I feel like would be too stressful. What's warm to me will probably be a LOT warmer than what the frogs can handle.

This is a single frog who has been separated from its siblings since it morphed out. Would Rhabdias or common parasites of our frogs live in the tadpole container? It's interesting that this frogs' siblings have very hearty appetites and much bolder but they live in a completely separate enclosure.


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## wesleybrouwer (Apr 17, 2010)

It doesn't need to be warm/hot, just luke like not cold 
Say around room temperature, same temperature you keep you're tadpoles in.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Rain_Frog said:


> Really? I never knew that when I sent in fecals. I send stuff to Dr. David Frye. And, he told me that it is okay to mail samples in freezing weather as long as it gets to him in 2-3 days.
> .


This has been discussed in the past (see for example on contamination http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/beginner-discussion/2667-parasites-food-question-gross-story.html) 

I know I've mentioned the protozoa issues more than once over the last few years. 

Ed


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Rain_Frog said:


> Really? I never knew that when I sent in fecals. I send stuff to Dr. David Frye. And, he told me that it is okay to mail samples in freezing weather as long as it gets to him in 2-3 days.
> 
> I guess I could ask my local vet, but they will send it off to a lab at Kansas State University.
> 
> ...


I don't know the science reasons for it (that's what we have Ed for  ) but, when I took the fecal sample of Bill's collection to my exotic vet, they wanted the sample to be in their possession within hours of leaving the frogs bodies. Fecal samples were collected at night popped into the fridge and rushed to the vet first thing in the morning.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Rain_Frog said:


> Would Rhabdias or common parasites of our frogs live in the tadpole container? It's interesting that this frogs' siblings have very hearty appetites and much bolder but they live in a completely separate enclosure.


Did you have Rhabdias show up in your collection? Were there other positives in the other tadpoles or frogs from that group? Yes there are parasites that carry over after infecting tadpoles. 

Some comments

Ed


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