THE MODIFIED WISCONSIN SUGAR FLOTATION TECHNIQUE - STARTER KIT

Recommended by Dr. Donald H. Bliss, Veterinary Parasitologist, as the fecal test of choice for the most accurate results in detecting parasitisms.

THE MOST SENSITIVE LABORATORY TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTING PARASITES IN BOTH EQUINE & BOVINE.

DEVELOPED FOR JORVET™ (JORGENSEN LABORATORIES, INC, LOVELAND, CO 80538)

Gastro-intestinal parasites are hidden deep inside animals destroying the health and well-being of infected animals. The damage caused by parasites includes adversely affecting all levels of production for domestic livestock by reducing immune function, reducing weight gain, lowering feed efficiency, reducing reproductive performance and decreasing milk production.

• The only way to accurately know what parasites are present without harming the host animal and to determine the level of worm egg shedding is by using the a sensitive fecal exam.

 

• The best fecal exam for use with all species of domestic livestock and pets is the "Modified Wisconsin Sugar Flotation Technique." It is easy to conduct and is a low-cost technique to perform.

 

• Cattle parasitism is a herd disease while parasitism in horses it is an individual disease problem. Individual fecal checks in horses should be conducted twice a year to monitor parasite levels. Cattle should be sampled randomly (5% to 10% of the herd) every couple years to make sure the dewormers are working properly and strategic-timed dewormings are preventing parasite build-up on pastures.

Standard Operating Procedure: Fecal Worm Egg Counts Using the "Modified Wisconsin Sugar Flotation Technique."

Samples Collection: Samples should be delivered to the clinic or lab as individual samples each placed in a small baggie, zipped locked bag, glove, or other small container marked as to animal identification or other identification such as animal group, pen or location on the operation where sample was collected. Baggies can be turned inside out and used as a glove to pick up samples, re-inverted and sealed pressing the air out of the bag. The owners name and farm or ranch name, location and address of the operation and date samples were collected should be recorded. A return address, e-mail, or fax number is requested for returning lab results. All samples arriving at the clinic or lab should be refrigerated upon arrival and remain refrigerated until process.

Laboratory procedure for processing fecal samples for worm egg counts:

1. The samples are hand massaged in the baggie to help mix sample before a corner is cut and a small 3-gm sample (thumb nail size) is squeezed out into a 3-oz paper cup containing 15 cc of saturated sugar solution.

 

2. The mixed solution is then poured through a standard tea strainer over a second 3-oz cup and pressed dry with the tongue depressor. The 3-oz cup containing the squeezed solution cup is poured directly into a 15 cc tapered test tube and placed in a free-swinging horizontal head centrifuge and centrifuged at 1,000 rpm or less for five minutes.

 

3. After centrifugation, the test tube is placed in a test tube, sugar solution is added with the wash bottle or a 10-12 cc syringe containing sugar solution to form a slight meniscus and the cover slip is added. The cover slip is allowed to stand on the top of the tube for a minimum of 5 minutes before placing on a numbered microscope slide for reading. If not read immediately, the test tube rack with the test tubes and attached cover slip is placed in the refrigerator until read. After processing, all samples should be read within 72 hours.

 

4. The samples are read using 4X magnification. Each slip is read completely starting from upper left corner of the cover slip moving downward making five complete passes until the entire cover slip is read. All eggs are identified as to type and enumerated. Egg types identified according to published identification keys of gastro-intestinal nematode and flatworm (tapeworm) parasites.2 Results are recorded on a fecal worm egg count reporting form included in the kit.

¹Dryden, M.W., et al., "Comparison of Common Fecal Flotation Techniques for the Recovery of Parasite Eggs and Oocysts." Vet Therapeutics, Vol. 6; 15-27, 2005.

²D.H. Bliss and W.G. Kvasnicka: "The Fecal Examination: a Missing Link in Food Animal Practice." The Compendium, April, (Vol. 4); 104-109, 1997.

Items included in Starter Kit   Centrifuge tubs, 15 ml conical, polystyrene, Pk (100) Cover Slips, 22 x 22 mm, 100/box Drench-gun, 0-23 ml Guide to internal parasite of equine and ruminants Microscope Slides, 1" x 3", 72/box One pair of Scissors Reporting forms for equine/cattle/small ruminant Sheather's Sugar Solution, 1 gal Tea strainers Tally Counter Test Tube Rack, metal, 72 places Tongue depressors (100) Wash Bottle, 500 ml, wide mouth Wash buckets (2)