DIY Fecal Testing:

I purchased a used microscope from a college student in 2003. I have always wanted to do my own fecal testing and I thought it would be a good way to keep a closer eye on my beardies. If you plan on doing your own fecal testing, here's a list of what you'll need:

• A monocular/binocular compound microscope with viewing objectives of 10X, 40X, 100X, and 400X (any power above 400X is a bonus, but isn't required.)
• Blank slides and coverslips
• Fecasol and test kits
• A good reference book on reptile parasitology. I currently have "Understanding Reptile Parasites" by Roger J. Klingenberg, but I hear that "Veterinary Clinical Parasitology" by Sloss & Kemp is a much better reference with more specimen photos and indepth views.

I was lucky and had a reptile vet that was willing to spend some time with me and help me do my first fecal floats. He showed me what to look for and how to identify parasites. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest part is coming up with the funds to get started. It cost me about $125 for my used microscope, $25 for slides and coverslips, $35 for Fecasol solution, $35 for test kits, and $15 for "Understanding Reptile Parasites" book.

So you can see that it's not cheap (but not too expensive if you have a lot of reptiles) to get set up compared to just taking a sample to the vet. Consider how much you'll save in the long run, especially if you're treating multiple beardies. I figure I'm saving about $55 (vet visit $40 + $15 for fecal test). Hmmm... let's see, that's a little over $200 to get started or about 4 trips to the vet with fecal tests. In the first 6 months I had my microscope, I did 16 tests on my 8 beardies. And that doesn't include the 10 or so tests that I've done for others. That would've cost me ... well heck, you do the math and you'll see what I mean. I think that every serious reptile owner/breeder should have a microscope on hand.

If you are interested in getting a microscope and supplies I am currently selling them. All of the profits we receive will help cover some of the expenses of running our reptile rescue and the Beautiful Dragons website. For more information on prices and how to order, please visit the Store.