Endoparasites Flashcards
what is a parasite?
an organism that lives off of another organism at the expense of its host
what are endoparasites?
small organisms that live a portion of their life cycle inside a host animal
where do endoparasites live when inside an animal (3)? how do they gain nutrients?
- body cavities
- internal organs
- tissues
gain nutrients by feeding off the host animal
why are few horses free of internal parasites?
they are natural grazers, so they pick up parasites from the ground and from feces on the ground
what is the goal with parasite management in horses?
to keep numbers low; pronanly can’t eradicate completely bc grazers
what are the negative results of a parasite infestation in a horse? (2)
- loss of nutrients and blood from the host resulting in severe problems and death if not controlled
- serious economic and physiological problems
what are 8 symptoms of parasitism in horses?
- weakness (even with small load)
- unthriftyness (even with small load)
- emaciation (larger load)
- potbelly: large, distended abdomen
- tucked up flanks (narrow in lumbar vertebrae area)
- rough hair coat
- slow growth
- performance dwindles as horse is lethargic
what is acute parasitism?
when a lot of eggs hatch all at once, usually in a particular area of the body
what are 4 signs of acute parasitism? relate to where the hatch or migrations occurs
- colic (intestine)
- diarrhea (intestine)
- cough (lungs)
- lameness (circulatory system)
where can migration of parasits cause injury to? (5)
- lungs
- liver
- blood vessels
- intestines
- other body organs
what are strongyles? what are the two types?
blood worms; large and smal
what are the 4 major endoparasites?
- large strongyles
- small strongyles
- tapeworms
- roundworms
of the 4 major types of endoparasites, which on causes the most damage in horses?
large stongyles; or strongylus vulgaris
is the large strongyle, strongylus vulgaris, still the most important endoparasite?
no; it used to be because it is the most common and due to the types of damage cuased by its immature stages, but now we have more effective dewormers against it, so others are actually more problematic
what are the 3 kinds of large strongyles? which does the most damage?
- strongylus vulgaris (most damage)
- strongylus edentatus
- strongylus equinis
how many species of small strongyles are there? what is their collective name?
over 40 species of small stronglyes, collectively referred to as cyathostomes
describe the life cycle of strongylus vulgaris
direct (no intermediate host in development)
where are stronglye larvae found? how hardy are they?
on vegetation and surroundings; very resistant to adverse weather conditions and eclosed in a sheath so super hardy and may survive winter or drought
what happens to strongyle larvae under favorable conditions? (2)
- become active
- migrate up and down blades of grass in pastures
when is the infection stage of strongyles swallowed (3) also give two other places these can be picked up by horses
- when horse grazes or
- eats off the ground or
- drinks water from a contaminated sources
can also be picked up if a horse licks stall walls or mangers
what happens once strongyles are ingested? (2)
- they lose their sheath
- then enter the wall of the terminal protion on the small intestine, cecum, and large intestine and form cysts/capsules
following a short period of encapsulation, what do strongylus vulgaris do?
larvae burrow into small artery walls and migrate to the anterior mesenteric artery, which is the main supply of blood to small and large intestines
what does the migration of strongylus vulgaris larvae to the mesenteric artery cause? (3)
- disruption of blood flow
- formation of blood clots in the artery
- irritation to artery walls, causing them to thicken and reducing the amount of blood flowing to the small intestine, colon, and cecum
what happens as the mesenteric artery becomes more restricted due to migration of strongylus vulgaris larvae? (2)
- blood pressure causes the wall to balloon out
- thrombi in the vessel are released and lodge within the arteries of the intestine, heart, kidney, liver, and legs (are called embolisms while mobile; when go to legs can cause lameness)