Parasites

Canine Parasites | Parasites in Dogs

Dog Parasites are a fascinating group of invertebrates that are found in and on all groups of animals of interest in veterinary medicine. They have evolved and developed with many of their hosts and may or may not produce clinical disease, depending on a variety of environmental, ecological, immunological, physiological, and managerial factors that influence the host-parasite relationship.

This relationship is constantly changing, and as producers change management systems through animal breeding, animal manipulation, exotic introductions, environmental control, and use of pet meds, different manifestations of diseases are observed. As an example, Facioloides magna is a liver fluke of whitetailed deer and elk and usually does not harm these hosts. However, when domestic sheeps or goats are grazed in areas where F. magna is present, death of sheeps and goats occurs within a relatively short time. Some hosts cannot tolerate the effects of specific parasites and die, whereas other hosts are well adapted to the parasite and no clinical signs of siseases are present.

Since many parasites can be pathogenic, the goal of the clinician and producer is prevention of clinical parasitism through management, nutrition, epizootiology, and effective drugs. Knoledge of life cycles and epizootiology must be used in the formulation of effective parasite control programs. Indiscriminate use of drugs is a poor substitute for suboptimal management. A final word is that new parasites and ecological relationships are being discovered, so do not be surprised when you make a discovery contrary to published reports.

We would love to hear your pet’s story. Please add a comment.

Fleas on Cats

You have probably seen common fleas on cats before: quick and tiny things that crawl through your companion’s fur, feeding on its blood, causing the cat to vigorously scratch. Fleas on cats (Ctenocephalides felis) live on the animal’s skin. They principally feast on both blood and skin, causing sickness and discomfort. External parasites like fleas are a common problem for cats that go outdoors but are easily treated and the recovery is quick. Fleas like to live around the cat’s ears, eyes and anus. Hair loss is common because of the scratching.

In your fight against fleas, repetition of treatment and disinfection of the cat’s environment is a must. After the initial treatment, you will need to fumigate the environment again within ten to fourteen days – the eggs hatch in that period of time – as new fleas would create discomfort in your cat again.

Some new flea treatments include skin drops or pills available only through your pet clinician. Other treatments require flea powders, collars, flea baths and some sprays. Ask your vet before combining flea treatments , otherwise you might end up poisoning your companion. It is really important to get rid of fleas on cats not only because of the skin and hairloss problems, but also because a flea infestation may give your cat anemia. It is also important because fleas in cats carry tapeworms.

Elevated temperature and gums that are pale are the main symptoms of fleas on cats – along with the itching and scratching. The definite diagnosis of fleas on cats is made via blood testing by the vet that will then prescribe the flea treatment.

Pneumonyssoides caninum is a small, white mite approximately 1 mm in size. Most infestations are clinically silent, but some dogs may have moderate-to-severe clinical signs. A common clinical feature of nasal mites in dogs is sneezing, which is often violent. Head shaking, pawing at the nose, reverse sneezing, chronic nasal discharge, and epistaxis can also occur. These signs are similar to those caused by nasal foreign bodies.

The diagnosis is made by visualizing the mites during rhinoscopy or by retrograde nasal flushing. The nasal mites can be easily overlooked in the retrieved saline solution; they should be specifically searched for with slight magnification or by placing dark material behind the specimen for contrast. Further, the mites are often located in the frontal sinuses and caudal nasal cavity. The greatest success in identifying nasal mites in dogs is by flushing the nasal cavities with halothane in oxygen. The anesthetic mixture causes the mites to migrate to the caudal nasopharynx where the mites are visualized using an endoscope.

Nasal Mites Treatment and Prognosis

Milbemycin oxime (0.5 to 1mg/kg, orally, every 7 to 10 days for three treatments) has been used successfully for treating nasal mites. Ivermectin has also been used for treatment but is not safe for certain breeds. Any dog in direct contact with the affected animal should also be treated. The prognosis for dogs with nasal mites is excellent.