Hedging Instruments (Schedule Of Fair Values And Balance Sheet Classifications Of Derivatives Designated As Hedging Instruments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet	$ 102,226	$ 98,834
Hedging Liabilities, Gross amounts subject to master netting arrangements not offset on the balance sheet	2,316	1,268
Hedging Liabilities, Net amount	99,910	97,566
Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet	3,683	1,749
Derivatives Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Assets, Gross amounts subject to master netting arrangements not offset on the balance sheet	2,316	1,268
Hedging Assets, Net amount	2,464	3,608
Derivatives Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Assets, Total derivative instruments presented as cash flow hedges on the balance sheet	4,780	4,876
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] \| Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet	3,025	1,365
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] \| Other Long-Term Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet	658
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] \| Derivatives Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Assets, Total derivative instruments presented as cash flow hedges on the balance sheet	4,057	4,876
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] \| Derivatives Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Other Long-Term Assets, Net [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Assets, Total derivative instruments presented as cash flow hedges on the balance sheet	723
Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet		384
Foreign Currency Borrowings Designated As Net Investment Hedge On The Balance Sheet [Member] \| Long-term Debt [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Hedging Liabilities, Total hedging instruments presented on the balance sheet	$ 98,543	$ 97,085

Fair value, after effects of master netting arrangements, deduction of assets not subject to a master netting arrangement and elected not to be offset, of financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, offset against an obligation to return collateral.

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssetFairValueOffsetAgainstCollateralNetOfNotSubjectToMasterNettingArrangementPolicyElection
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, elected not to be offset, deducted from derivative assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226016-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssetNotOffsetPolicyElectionDeduction
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Excludes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (a),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624163-113959

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226000-175313

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51814546&loc=SL51823488-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes liabilities elected not to be offset. Excludes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51814546&loc=SL51823488-111719

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (a),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624163-113959

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226000-175313

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value, after effects of master netting arrangements, deduction of liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and elected not to be offset, of financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, offset against the right to receive collateral.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226016-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilityFairValueOffsetAgainstCollateralNetOfNotSubjectToMasterNettingArrangementPolicyElection
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, elected not to be offset, deducted from derivative liabilities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilityNotOffsetPolicyElectionDeduction
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=idxx_OtherLongTermLiabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=idxx_OtherLongTermAssetsNetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=idxx_ForeignCurrencyBorrowingsDesignatedAsNetInvestmentHedgeOnBalanceSheetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_LongTermDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: