Internal Parasites
3 post(s)
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Wed 05 Sep 2007 09:12AM PDT
Unbeliever
67 post(s)
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Dogs and cats can become hosts to many intestinal parasites and a few general statements apply to all parasitic infections:
*All deworming medicines are poisonous to some extent and should only be used as needed and under proper conditions.*
At this time there is no one dewormer that can eliminate all species of parasites. Consequently an accurate diagnosis is necessary to treat your pet properly.
*Diagnosis is usually made from a fresh stool sample (passed less than 12 hours) or, in the case of tapeworms, seeing the segments in the stool.*
Most puppies and kittens are infected before birth and, for this reason, will need deworming starting at 6 weeks of age. If hookworms are suspected, stools should be checked starting as early as 2-3 weeks.
*Occasionally, for a heavy parasitic infection, 3 or even 4 treatments may be necessary to eliminate the parasite*
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*Roundworms* - This is a common worm of puppies and kittens, but can be seen in any age dog or cat. Diagnosis is made from a microscopic examination of the feces or from a description of the worm if it is seen in the stool or vomitus. Treatment is an oral medication given at 2-week intervals. Symptoms will vary from none to marked vomiting and diarrhea, and abdominal swelling. Transmission to adult dogs and cats occurs by infected feces contaminating the yard. As a result, prevention is accomplished by isolating your pet from infected feces of other animals. For dogs, the heartworm preventives also prevent roundworm infection. Transmission to humans is rare; young children can develop “visceral larval migrans” by eating dirt contaminated with feces.
*Hookworms* - This is also a common worm of puppies and kittens but is seen with equal frequency in adults. This parasite sucks your pet’s blood and can cause severe anemia. Diagnosis is made from a microscopic examination of your pet’s stool. Treatment is either an oral medication or an injection or both. This is repeated 2 weeks later. Symptoms will vary from none to blood in the stool (dark tar-colored stool) with diarrhea. Severe cases may need a transfusion and hospitalization. Transmission to adults occurs by infected feces contaminating the grass or soil. Prevention, therefore, requires that the pet be kept away from contaminated areas. Two types of heartworm preventive can also prevent hookworm infections in dogs. Transmission to humans is uncommon and is usually shows up as skin lesions.
*Whipworms* - This worm affects dogs only. Diagnosis is also made from a microscopic exam of the feces. Eggs from this parasite pass intermittently, however, so it may be necessary to check multiple fecals before a diagnosis is made. Treatment is an oral or injects able medication given at 3-week intervals for several treatments depending on the severity of the infection. Symptoms vary from none to a severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, and marked weight loss. Some dogs require hospitalization for treatment of dehydration, malnutrition, and infection. There is no human transmission.
*Tapeworms* - This common worm affects both dogs and cats. Transmission occurs when your dog or cat bites and “eats” a flea. The intermediate form of the tapeworm is inside the flea’s body and it then attaches to the intestine and begins to grow “segments”. In about 3 weeks, these segments begin to pass in the stool. They are approximately ¼ to ½ inch long, flat, and white. After a short time in the air, they dry up to resemble a small yellow flat seed. Diagnosis is made from seeing these segments on the stool or on the pet’s back end rather than a microscopic fecal exam. Treatment is either by oral tablets or by an injection. The tapeworm infection kills existing tapeworms but it does not prevent future infection. The only prevention is strict flea control. There is no direct transmission from dog or cat to a human.
*Giardia* - This parasite is not a worm. It is a very tiny single-celled parasite that can live in the intestines of dogs, cats, and man. It is seen most commonly in dogs coming out of kennel-type situations (pet stores, shelters, dog pounds, etc.) but its incidence is increasing. Symptoms include intermittent or continuous diarrhea, weight loss, depression, and loss of appetite. Diagnosis is made from a very fresh fecal specimen that must be collected at the clinic for optimum results. A surprising number of affected animals are “occult”; that is, they are infected but are negative on these tests even with multiple examinations. As a result, this parasite is often treated without a confirming diagnosis. Treatment is an oral medication administered at home. Prevention involves careful disposal of all fecal material and cleaning contaminated areas. Humans can become infected with Giardia so special care must be taken to wash hands and utensils.
*Coccidia* - This is also a single-celled parasite. It is seen primarily in puppies and kittens, although debilitated adults can also be affected. Transmission occurs by eating the infective stage of the parasite. It then reproduces in the intestinal tract causing no symptoms in mild cases to bloody diarrhea in severely affected pets. Diagnosis is made from a fresh stool sample. Treatment varies greatly. Animals showing no signs of illness are often not treated because a mild case is often self-limiting. Pets with diarrhea are treated at home with an oral medication. Severely affected pets may need hospitalization. Prevention involves disposal of all stools and cleaning the pet’s living area. Human transmission is uncommon but can occur.
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Wed 05 Sep 2007 09:32AM PDT
TinaValant
845 post(s)
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Heartworms: I think the nastiest! Treatment is costly and dangerous, adn sometimes fatal ~ which is why to ALWAYS use a preventative. By law, your vet will do a simple blood test at your dog's annual exam, to make sure s/he doesn't have them (before refilling your 'script). We use Interceptor, and have used Sentinel. Aussies and most herding breeds should not have Heartgaard.
Ivermectin Sensitivity test http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/test.asp
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Thu 06 Sep 2007 06:46AM PDT
Unbeliever
67 post(s)
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I have a workup sheet for them too. :) I have one for pretty well any disease or problem you can think of under the sun. I have a lot of time on my hands. <.<
Erm.
*Adult Heartworms live in the right side of the heart.*
They are 6-14 inches long. Several hundred may be present in the dog!
*Heartworms impair blood circulation, resulting in damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Serious damage may occur, even before outward clinical signs are detected by the owner.*
Advanced signs include difficult breathing, coughing, tiring easily, listlessness, and loss of weight, and fainting.
*Heartworms are found throughout the United States and Canada.*
Mosquitoes spread heartworms:
After ingesting blood from and infected dog, the MICROFILARIA (“baby” heartworms) is transmitted to another dog or cat when the mosquito bites it. Once the heartworms mature, they begin reproducing additional microfilaria. This MICROFILARIA IS NOT DANGEROUS TO THE INFECTED DOG. A mosquito must ingest the microfilaria before they can become infectious. The mosquito must then inject the heartworm larvae into the susceptible pet. It takes 3 to 6 months for adult Heartworms to develop in a dog after an infected mosquito bites it. Heartworms occur in all breeds of dogs: large and small, shorthaired and longhaired, inside-dogs and outside-dogs. Heartworms also now are known to infect cats. Diagnosis of Heartworms is by blood test to detect the “baby” heartworms in the blood. A special test to detect “occult heartworm disease” is sometimes required when heartworms are suspected, even if the initial screening test is negative, because a small number of dogs may have adult heartworms but yet have no microfilaria in the bloodstream. Treatment is very SUCCESSFUL when the disease is detected early. The adult worms are killed with an injectable drug given in a series of 2 injections. A few days later, the worms begin to die, and are carried by way of the bloodstream to the lungs where they lodge in small blood vessels. They slowly decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Other injections may be used to kill the microfilaria (“baby” heartworms) at a later time.
HEARTWORMS CAN BE PREVENTED!!!!
We strongly recommend the new once/month heartworm preventives, which also aid in the prevention of other internal parasites. It should be given all year long routine testing for Heartworms once each year is suggested for all dogs!
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