How do you collect a stool sample?

[Mr_Kitty]

Hi my angels,

I call you that because even though I was a complete stranger, you spent hours helping me EXACTLY how I wish to be helped, this was just a disclaimer describing how grateful I am for everything.

I am picking up my Kitten T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W MORNING! I am picking him up 2 days prior to the Vet appointment so I can bond with him a little and see if there are any concerns I have and get him to get used to his new and forever home over the weekend.

Another main reason for me picking him up a couple days prior to the vet appointment is because I need to collect his stool sample. I was told by some people there are lots which preserve the stool much better so you don't have to collect a fresh one prior to your appointment.

I just spoke with my vet clinic and the receptionist said I should just use a ziplock bag. Is that a concern that they not only didn't tell me about the kit but also did not provide one when I asked for it or is it normal?

They're cheaper than other clinics and while there are a couple cheaper ones they have the best prices and service according to the reviews and less than 6km away on the main road I live next to. So very accessible.

I wanna make sure I picked the right vet and get the right stool sample.

 

[Kristin Bryant]

Hi my angels,

I call you that because even though I was a complete stranger, you spent hours helping me EXACTLY how I wish to be helped, this was just a disclaimer describing how grateful I am for everything.

I am picking up my Kitten T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W MORNING! I am picking him up 2 days prior to the Vet appointment so I can bond with him a little and see if there are any concerns I have and get him to get used to his new and forever home over the weekend.

Another main reason for me picking him up a couple days prior to the vet appointment is because I need to collect his stool sample. I was told by some people there are lots which preserve the stool much better so you don't have to collect a fresh one prior to your appointment.

I just spoke with my vet clinic and the receptionist said I should just use a ziplock bag. Is that a concern that they not only didn't tell me about the kit but also did not provide one when I asked for it or is it normal?

They're cheaper than other clinics and while there are a couple cheaper ones they have the best prices and service according to the reviews and less than 6km away on the main road I live next to. So very accessible.

I wanna make sure I picked the right vet and get the right stool sample.

Hello. Congratulations on your new baby!

I've always collected my guys' gifts in a zip lock baggie and kept it in the fridge if it wasn't "hot off the presses" right before the appointment. My understanding from my vets is that it just shouldn't be older than 8 hours. I hope this helps

 

[GoldyCat]

I also collect the stool in a baggie if the kit is not available. My vet told me 8 hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator.

So glad you're getting your baby now.

 

[Mr_Kitty]

Hello. Congratulations on your new baby!

I've always collected my guys' gifts in a zip lock baggie and kept it in the fridge if it wasn't "hot off the presses" right before the appointment. My understanding from my vets is that it just shouldn't be older than 8 hours. I hope this helps

Thank you so much for the advice but even if you paid me I wouldn't put poop in a fridge. It's very cold here in Toronto so maybe I can keep it on the balcony. Thing is my apartment faces south and I get the sun rays all day long.

I think it is raining and snowing the day of my appointment though (I know that's great lol) cause it is super sunny over the weekend lmao.

 

[Mr_Kitty]

I also collect the stool in a baggie if the kit is not available. My vet told me 8 hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator.

So glad you're getting your baby now.

Thank you very much for giving me more confidence by providing me with another response.

I will try my best to make it go number 2 on Monday... I don't know when I should feed it for that to happen but I will make sure to feed it triple the amount just this one time so he has to go lol...

 

[Kristin Bryant]

Kittens usually poop several times a day so hopefully he'll give you a sample that won't need to bake on your patio

 

[Mr_Kitty]

Kittens usually poop several times a day so hopefully he'll give you a sample that won't need to bake on your patio

Hahahahaha that was funny. Yes I will feed it lots of yummy food and if it doesn't go I will try to stimulate him to go.

This is funny, I get grossed out by changing babies diapers but I'm willing to do this. What is happening to me lol

 

[daftcat75]

A stool sample usually doesn't need to be larger than a pea. Call your vet to confirm. I would recommend grabbing the freshest sample you can get, double baggie it, and put it in the fridge if you're not going to run it directly over to the vet's office. The trouble with leaving it out is that it can attract bacterial growth that didn't come from your cat. Thus the sample can be contaminated and may provide false results.

 

[Mr_Kitty]

A stool sample usually doesn't need to be larger than a pea. Call your vet to confirm. I would recommend grabbing the freshest sample you can get, double baggie it, and put it in the fridge if you're not going to run it directly over to the vet's office. The trouble with leaving it out is that it can attract bacterial growth that didn't come from your cat. Thus the sample can be contaminated and may provide false results.

I get why you are all recommending to use the fridge but that is so gross lol. I hope he will go poopies right before the appointment. It's on Monday at 5pm.

If he goes around 12 or 3 in the afternoon and I triple bag it with ziplock bags and leave it outside on the balcony it is still not recommend it? How would anything get through? I could also leave it in a cooler with ice packs.

 

[daftcat75]

Kept inside a cooler with ice packs would be better than leaving it on your balcony. Even if you sealed it "hot off the presses" as someone else colorfully put it, you still want to put it in the fridge or a cooler to halt the growth of whatever bacteria is coming out of your cat's gut. Basically you don't want unrestrained growth to look like overgrowth or an infection. You wouldn't want to put your cat on antibiotics needlessly because the sample wasn't properly preserved.

 

[daftcat75]

But you could also call your vet and see what they say. They may not even be checking the bacteria make-up and maybe they tell you something completely different about how much to collect and how to store it before bringing it over. My own vet told me I could drop a sample off in the mail slot if it wasn't going to sit too long before they opened. I told her, "I don't hate you guys enough to leave cat poop in your mail slot."

 

[Mr_Kitty]

Kept inside a cooler with ice packs would be better than leaving it on your balcony. Even if you sealed it "hot off the presses" as someone else colorfully put it, you still want to put it in the fridge or a cooler to halt the growth of whatever bacteria is coming out of your cat's gut. Basically you don't want unrestrained growth to look like overgrowth or an infection. You wouldn't want to put your cat on antibiotics needlessly because the sample wasn't properly preserved.

I will get a cooler and ice packs to preserve the sample. The reason why I said I wanted to leave it on the balcony is because it is sub Zero where where I live. Monday will be raining and or snowing but I can protect it from those elements of it does.

It's usually -15c on average now but ironically enough it is around 0-6 degrees celsius last few days and sometimes drops to -5 almost immediately.

I just thought if it is consistently around -10 on my balcony, it's better than keeping it in a fridge. Thank you for going over it with me.

 

[Mr_Kitty]

But you could also call your vet and see what they say. They may not even be checking the bacteria make-up and maybe they tell you something completely different about how much to collect and how to store it before bringing it over. My own vet told me I could drop a sample off in the mail slot if it wasn't going to sit too long before they opened. I told her, "I don't hate you guys enough to leave cat poop in your mail slot."

Hahahahaha that was rich lmao. Yeah I wouldn't do that either. Hahaha