Derivative Instruments And Hedging (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative [Line Items]
Estimated net amount of gains expected to be reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into earnings within next 12 months	$ 7,400,000
General duration of foreign currency exchange contracts	2 years
Credit Facility borrowings hedged	80,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeAmountOfHedgedItem
Notional Amount of Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts	186,700,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount	168,300,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Interest Rate Swap Effective On March 30, 2012 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fixed portion of interest rate associated with interest rate swap	1.36%
Credit Facility borrowings hedged	40,000,000
Interest Rate Swap Effective On March 30, 2010 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fixed portion of interest rate associated with interest rate swap	2.00%
Credit Facility borrowings hedged	80,000,000
Interest Rate Swap Effective On March 28, 2013 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fixed portion of interest rate associated with interest rate swap	1.64%
Credit Facility borrowings hedged	$ 40,000,000

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 12

-Section 13

-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The estimated net amount of existing gains or losses on cash flow hedges at the reporting date expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next 12 months.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35736893&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashFlowHedgeGainLossToBeReclassifiedWithinTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the hedged item as of the balance sheet date related to the derivative. For example, the hedged balance on a debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAmountOfHedgedItem
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fixed interest rate related to the interest rate derivative.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFixedInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum period of time the entity is hedging its exposure to variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Excludes forecasted transactions related to payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35736893&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MaximumLengthOfTimeForeignCurrencyCashFlowHedge
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=idxx_InterestRateSwapEffectiveOnMarchThirtyTwoThousandTenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=idxx_InterestRateSwapEffectiveOnMarchThirtyTwoThousandTwelveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=idxx_InterestRateSwapEffectiveOnMarchTwentyEightTwoThousandThirteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: