Fecal Testing in Small Ruminants

We use Meadow Mist Lab Services in Scotts, MI for our small ruminant fecal testing. Their lab offers affordable, highly quantitative reports that allow both the veterinarian and owner to come up with a treatment plan BEFORE treating animals with dewormers.

https://www.meadowmistlabservice.com/

Small ruminant parasites can cause anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, and in young stock, even death from dehydration. They are also sneaky buggers and adapt well to show resistance easily to our common dewormers. That is why we recommend fecal testing BEFORE treatment.

Here are some signs that you can look for in your flock to see if you need to test:

• Weight Loss

• Rough Hair Coat

• Sunken eyes (dehydration)

• Diarrhea or “dirty butts”

• Pale mucous membranes (Measured by a FAMACHA score using the bottom eyelid)

Here is a great guide to FAMACHA scoring by the University of Rhode Island:

https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/files/FAMACHA-Scoring_Final2.pdf

URI website: https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/

If you have questions about fecal testing, please feel free to call 810-295-6131 or email kmpfarmvets@gmail.com