Finding vets doing lab work for chickens

[NestingMillenial]

I thought I'd ask how you guys manage this, because I just went through several days of a maddening experience trying to call all the vets around me and ask them to perform a fecal float for my chickens.

Basically none would agree to do so because they either don't see chickens (even after I explained it's the same procedure as for cats and dogs and I didn't need them to see the chicken, I just would like to pay for this one lab work), or they need to make the animal a patient to do lab work (and then that'd bring us right back to the fact that they don't see chickens, usually, and/or that they don't have any appointment before 3-4 weeks even if I was willing to pay for that bullshit).

I think what really got me annoyed is not the response, but the way it was delivered to me: I really felt like trying to talk with a robot or an answering machine, with each front desk. They'd just repeat the same thing over and over, even if it didn't match the case I was asking about (tbf I am starting to feel like all health care in the US, vet or human, is like this: a glorified customer service experience).

Anyway, beyond the rant, I do want to know: how do you guys manage this? I keep seeing that this is possible and that fecal floats are also obtainable for cheap usually. Are you all asking those as a favor from vets you already see for other pets or who happen to be friends or something? I feel this is either that or I am in a sort of vet desert or something.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Years ago I used an at-home worm test kit that you mail in. Not sure if they test for anything other than worms though. I think this is the one I used, but there might be others out there. https://www.1800petmeds.com/Fecal+Worm+Test@Home+Kit-prod12328.html

 

[NestingMillenial]

That's awesome. I tried to see if any lab would let me order a test from them without a vet, but I did not even think of mail in options! Thanks!!

 

[Kiki]

https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/become-client/

Our state lab.

 

[NestingMillenial]

Thank you for that Kiki! I thought those were just where one sends dead birds for necropsy until you mentioned it in the other thread - definitely going to check with them from now on!

 

[Kiki]

Thank you for that Kiki! I thought those were just where one sends dead birds for necropsy until you mentioned it in the other thread - definitely going to check with them from now on!

They do all kinds of testing.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I've had similar experiences, but even when I did manage to get a vet to do the test they always came back negative. This past summer I handed over a sample that was literally quivering with tapeworm segments, but got a call back later saying they hadn't found anything. Multiple vets, multiple samples, multiple worm infestations and always a negative result. Had a chicken pooping out roundworms once, and after the fecal test came back negative the vet actually suggested that she was just pooping onto earthworms which I was mistaking for roundworms in the poop

Not every poop is going to have worm eggs even if your chicken does have a heavy load and in my experience vets and/or the test itself aren't accurate. My advice is to forget the fecal float and just treat when you find worms in the poop or if your girls are looking a little wan for no other discernible reason. Other people just treat regularly in the spring and fall. Valbazen is an excellent broad spectrum dewormer that will get rid of pretty much anything.

 

[NestingMillenial]

Ohhh, that's not something I anticipated, that's very good to know!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Other people just treat regularly in the spring and fall.

This is not recommended. Treating regularly without testing or seeing signs of worms can create drug-resistant parasites. Eventually no dewormer will work.

 

[igorsMistress]

The vet I use for my dogs doesn’t see chickens, but they’ll send off a fecal sample to the lab for me. I just have to collect and take it in to them.