Parasite control programs for dogs and cats 4

Question 1

What technique should be used
to monitor dogs/cats for intestinal
infections ?
- sensitivities:

Answer 1

• fecal smear/wet mount > x1
• standard fecal floatation > x6
• fecal floatation with ZnSO4 > x6
• centrifugation methods > x22

Question 2

Fecal monitoring for dogs/cats
(Companion Animal Parasite Council)
- schedule:

Answer 2

(a) First year of life: 2-4 times
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(b) Adults:
* If year-round heartworm/intestinal parasite prevention: 1-2 times per year
* If year-round heartworm/intestinal parasite prevention not carried out: 2-4 times per year (same frequency in high-risk households)

Question 3

Is flea & tick control also required, in addition to internal parasite preventatives?
- considerations

Answer 3

• Flea activity is not year-round in Canada except in BC, lowest issues in prairie provinces as are most dry
• Flea season in Ontario: end of May to beginning of November

Question 4

when should we give our first flea preventative? duration of prevention treatment?

Answer 4

• first preventative when you expect to start seeing fleas
  > June 1 in Ontario is appropriate (or end of May
  >June-Nov (6 doses) is appropriate for flea season, using monthly prevention

Question 5

Flea-only preventive products for dogs & cats
- what does it do?

Answer 5

Adulticide (dogs & cats):
Topical – imidacloprid
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(Typically used if ticks not a concern)

Question 6

what ticks are of concern in ontario? diseases?

Answer 6

• Dermacentor variabilis: American Dog Tick
• Ixodes scapularis: Black-legged/Deer Tick
  > Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease)
  > Anaplasma phagocytophilum (canine granulocytic anaplasmosis)

Question 7

Tick season in Guelph? prevention season?

Answer 7

• adults Aril to June
• nymphs June to Oct
• more adults Oct - Dec…
• rest of the year ???
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  > tick prevention recomended for 9 months
  > continue in winter? depends on the area for Jan, Feb, March

Question 8

If tick control is required… can we combine drugs with HW medication?

Answer 8

• Recognise that historically no heartworm preventive provided broad-spectrum tick control.
• You had to use two products for parasite control:
• what products will maximise compliance?
  – if use two topical products, apply approximately 1 week apart.

Question 9

Products with only tick & flea activity
- oral products

Answer 9

Oral (1 month):
* afoxolaner (NexGard) – dogs only
* sarolaner (Simparica) – dogs only
* lotilaner (Credelio) – dogs only
* fluralaner (Bravecto One) – dogs only
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Oral (3 months):
* fluralaner (Bravecto) – dogs only

Question 10

Products with only tick & flea activity
- topicals

Answer 10

Topical (1 month):
* permethrin + imidacloprid (K9 Advantix II) – dogs only
* fipronil (Frontline) – dogs & cat – USA only
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Topical (2/3 months):
* fluralaner (Bravecto) – cats only (2 months)
* fluralaner (Bravecto) – dogs only (3 months)
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Collar (8 months activity):
* flumethrin + imidacloprid (Seresto) – dogs & cats – USA only

Question 11

Products for everything! In dogs:
(heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas, ticks)

Answer 11

Dogs:
* milbemycin + afoxolaner (NexGard SPECTRA)
* moxidectin + pyrantel + sarolaner (Simparica TRIO)
* milbemycin + lotilaner (Credelio PLUS)

Question 12

When should “products for everything” be used?

Answer 12

some of the year - ticks drive the frequency of use in Ontario (require prevention longer than anything else)
- makes sense to use from June 1 to Nov 1 for sure
- make sense more than 6 months of the year? not really, only risk is ticks and maybe fleas at other times
> outside this 6 month period, we can switch from an all-in-one to tick and flea product only

Question 13

Products for everything! In cats:
(heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas, ticks)

Answer 13

Cats:
* selamectin + sarolaner (Revolution Plus)
* moxidectin + fluralaner (Vitrecto – Canada; Bravecto Plus - USA)
* eprinomectin + praziquantel + esafoxolaner (NexGard COMBO)
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All topicals