Parasite control programs for dogs and cats Flashcards
important endoparasites in Ontario for dogs
- Roundworms
- Toxocara, (Toxascaris)
<><> - Hookworms
- Ancylostoma, (Uncinaria)
<><> - Heartworm ?
<><> - Whipworm ?
- Trichuris vulpis
<><> - Tapeworms ?
- Dipylidium caninum
- Taenia pisiformis
- Echinococcus multilocularis
<><> - Giardia and coccidia ?
important endoparasites in Ontario for cats
- Roundworms - Toxocara, (Toxascaris)
<><> - Hookworms - Ancylostoma, (Uncinaria)
<><> - Tapeworms ?
- Dipylidium caninum
- Taenia taeniaeformis
<><> - Giardia & Coccidia ?
Important ectoparasites in Ontario
- for dogs
- Fleas
- Ticks ?
- Dermacentor variabilis
- Ixodes scapularis
Important ectoparasites in Ontario for cats
- Fleas
- Ticks ?
- Dermacentor variabilis
- Ixodes scapularis
- Otodectes ?
Guidelines for using anti-parasite drugs
- Use a drug with as narrow a spectrum of activity as possible.
- Use route of administration that will maximise client compliance.
- Use as few products as possible.
- Administer the drug only when the animal is at risk of acquiring an infection.
- MONITOR the efficacy of the control program.
Most likely candidates for parasitic zoonoses? what should we do?
(high risk households: YOPIs)
* children < 4 years
* geriatric people
* pregnant people
* immunocompromised people (HIV+ve, cancer, immune-mediated disease)
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Preventive deworming should be more aggressive in high-risk households
Preventive treatment not carried out for:
- Giardia
- Coccidia
Giardia prevalence in ontario dogs? who gets it most? signs?
- Giardia prevalence = 11.8%
- infections more common < 1 year of age
- > 95% positive dogs = no diarrhea
Giardia in cats - prevalence
- from ~4-10%
Giardia in people
- prevalence
- signs?
- origins?
- most commonly reported intestinal parasite, by far
- many infections = no clinical signs
- disease = mild to severe diarrhea
- most infections = human origin > not from animals!
Giardia in people
- treatment strategy (not drugs)
- subclinical infections typically not treated
- if clinical signs resolve following treatment,
post-treatment testing not usually carried out
Do Giardia infections in Ontario dogs and cats have zoonotic potential?
should we treat based on zoonotic risk?
- there are several Giardiah ‘assemblages’ out there, with different host ranges
<><><><>
A - Humans, livestock, cats, dogs, beavers
B - Humans, dogs, beavers, rats, chinchillas
C, D - Dog
E - Livestock
F - Cat
G - Rat
<><><><>
so A and B are zoonotic, and affect companion animals…
HOWEVER: - 98% dog infections in Ontario = dog specific (type C or D)
> so in general we cannot use zoonotic risk as justification to treat, unless we have that information - most infections are subclinical
- in general, subclinical infections should not be treated - unless zoonotic concern and not possible to genotype infection
Giardia Treatment (if clinical)? success rate and considerations?
- fenbendazole or metronidazole (multi-day treatment)
- non-responsive infections appear to be common > reinfection from environment or coat appears common
> treat all dogs/cats
> bath all dogs/cats entirely on first & last day of
treatment - clean environment at time of treatment
- address stressors, e.g. diet, environment
Giardia Prevention, monitoring
Prevention:
* cleanliness of animal & environment
* cysts quickly become non-infective in dry environments, and with exposure to freeze-thaw cycles
<><><><>
Routine monitoring?
* ZnSO4 floatation/fecal antigen test (e.g. Snap)
* not justified in healthy animals – treatment not recommended for subclinical infections
Coccidiosis in dogs
- pathogen
- who is it most common in?
- risk factors?
- treatment?
- Cystoisospora spp.
- Most common in dogs < 6 months of age
<><> - Often associated with stress:
- weaning
- overcrowding
- long car/plane rides
- move to new house
<><>
Kennel = ideal environment for outbreak
Treatment = sulfa, trimethoprim-sulfa, amprolium, toltrazuril (all = off label)
