Faecal Worm Egg Counting

Faecal Worm Egg Counting (FWEC) is a method of determining how many internal parasite eggs are present in a particular faecal (poo) sample. If eggs are found in a faecal sample, it shows that worms are present in the animal’s digestive tract. This information can be used to determine whether or not a worming treatment is required.

If an animal has internal worms, the eggs produced by the adult worms, living in the digestive tract, are oen passed out in the faeces. If eggs are found in a fresh faecal sample, it shows that worms are present in the animal. The number of eggs found can provide a useful indication of the level of worm infection, so a high egg count would suggest a high level of adult worms in the animal. FWEC can also assist in the identification of the types of worms or parasites present.

Infestations of intestinal worms can cause a variety of symptoms, most commonly diarrhoea and other digestive upset. Sometimes dogs and cats demonstrate few to no outward signs of infection, and the infestation can go undetected despite being a potentially serious health problem. Some intestinal parasites are also zoonotic, which means they can be passed from animals to people, and cause people to become unwell.

Incorporating worm egg counts into an animal’s preventative healthcare and worm management programme can help to target and reduce the use of worming treatments. There are concerns that through the continual use of worming medications these wormers may become less eective, making worm infestations harder to treat.