Fecal exams check a small, fresh stool sample under the microscope for worm eggs and single-celled parasites. Dogs and cats need one at least once a year, and more often as puppies and kittens or when they have diarrhea. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Ballantyne, at 5335 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Suite 150, Charlotte, NC 28277, runs fecal exams for dogs and cats to find parasites you usually can't see.
Many infected pets look healthy while shedding eggs into every stool, so testing protects the people and other pets at home too. Petfolk Ballantyne is a veterinarian in Ballantyne for dogs and cats.
Call (980) 300-6982 or book online.
What parasites does a fecal exam find?
It looks for eggs, larvae and cysts of the common intestinal parasites.
Roundworms. The most common worm in puppies and kittens, often passed from the mother. Eggs in soil can infect people, especially children.
Hookworms. Small worms that attach to the gut wall and feed on blood, which can cause anemia (a low red blood cell count) in young pets. Larvae in soil can burrow into human skin.
Whipworms. A dog parasite of the large intestine that causes on-and-off diarrhea. Eggs survive in soil for years.
Giardia. A single-celled parasite from contaminated water or stool that causes soft, greasy, smelly diarrhea.
Coccidia. Another single-celled parasite, common in puppies and kittens from shelters and breeders.
Tapeworm segments. These look like grains of rice near the tail and come from swallowing fleas.
How often should my pet have a fecal test?
The Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends regular fecal testing for puppies and kittens and at least once or twice a year for adult pets, depending on lifestyle.
Puppies and kittens. Several times in the first months, alongside their early visits.
New pets from a shelter, breeder or rescue. At the first visit, even with a deworming record.
Adult dogs and cats. At the yearly wellness exam, and more often for dogs that hike, swim, go to daycare or play at dog parks.
Any pet with diarrhea. Right away, before guessing at treatment.
Fecal testing at Petfolk Ballantyne
Between October 2025 and September 2026, 33% of puppy wellness visits and 23% of kitten wellness visits at Petfolk Ballantyne included a fecal parasite screen. So did 35% of visits for vomiting or diarrhea. Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, 30% of puppy wellness visits and 22% of kitten wellness visits included one.
Gentle, fear-free handling is standard at every Petfolk clinic, and a stool test asks very little of your pet. The wellness exam where most samples are checked starts at $99 or is included with PetfolkCare. You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit.
Which intestinal parasites turn up in Mecklenburg County dogs?
Giardia and hookworm lead local test results. In 2025, 2.84% of dogs tested in Mecklenburg County were positive for giardia and 2.39% for hookworm, according to Companion Animal Parasite Council data.
Parasite eggs build up wherever many dogs relieve themselves. Mecklenburg County's animal ordinance requires pet parents to pick up after their dogs in neighborhoods and public parks. On the fields at McKee Road Park, keep your dog leashed, as county rules require, and bag every stool.
One negative test is not a lifetime pass. Many monthly heartworm preventives also control some intestinal worms, and the heartworm prevention page explains which.
How do I collect a stool sample for the vet?
Fresh is best. Collect within a few hours, ideally the morning of your visit.
A small amount is enough. About a teaspoon, or the size of a sugar cube.
Seal it. Use a clean container or zip bag. A poop bag turned inside out over your hand works.
Keep it cool, not frozen. The fridge is fine for a few hours in a sealed bag.
For cats, scoop from clean litter. Avoid clumping litter stuck to the sample if you can.
Parasites shed eggs on and off, so a single negative result can miss an infection. If signs continue, the Petfolk Ballantyne doctor may ask for another sample or a different test.
When a stool change can't wait
Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital if your pet has a lot of blood in the stool, black and tarry stool, repeated vomiting with diarrhea, or is weak or collapsing. Petfolk Ballantyne is not a 24-hour hospital. Puppies and kittens with diarrhea dehydrate quickly, so call (980) 300-6982 the same day if a young pet stops eating.
Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Ballantyne, or see all veterinary services in Ballantyne.
Stool sample questions, answered plainly
Sample drop-off on Ballantyne Commons Parkway