Small Animal Intestinal Parasites Flashcards
Nematodes
Diagnosed via fecal float with zinc centrifugation (gold standard)
* roundworms
* hookworms
* whipworms
* heartworm
Roundworms
* also called Ascarids
* cats and dogs: Toxocara canis
* zoonotic - ocular larva migrans
* lives in small intestines
Roundworm Transmission
Transmitted via
* fecal-oral route
* transplacental infection
Roundworm Treatment
Treat with
* piperazine
* pyrantel
* fenbendazole
Roundworm Egg
Hookworm
* Ancylostoma caninum
* Uncinaria stenocephala
* zoonotic - cutaneous larva migrans (skin)
* can cause hemorrhagic diarrhea and severe anemia
Hookworm Transmission
Transmitted via
* fecal-oral route
* transmammary infection
* percutaneous infection
Percutaneous Infection
Larva migrate through skin and into lungs
* molt once in lungs
* gets swallowed
* pass through small intestines
* see with hookworms
Hookworm Egg
Whipworm
* Trichuris vulpis
* fecal-oral transmission
* find in large intestines
* hyperkalemia and hyponatremia with severe infections
Whipworm Egg
* bipolar plugs on the ends
Whipworm Treatment
Treated with
* fenbendazole
* milbemycin (Interceptor) - may prevent
Cestodes
Tapeworms
* flat and segmented
* Dipylidium or Taenia
Tapeworm
Dog and Cat
Dipylidium caninum
* flea is intermediate host
* flea accidentally swallowed during grooming
Tapeworms
Other
Ingestion of infective cysts during predation of rabbits, rodents, birds, ect
* Echinococcus granulosus
* Taenis spp.
Fluke
* Fasciola hepatica - also called liver fluke (found in hepatic bile ducts)
* commonly seen in cattle or sheep grazing where endemic
* snail is intermediate host - see in high rainful / moist environments
Fasciola hepatica egg
Giardia
* flagellated protozoan (trophozoites) or infective resistant cysts forms
* transmits via fecal-oral route - often from contaminated water
* causes watery diarrhea
* potentially zoonotic
Coccidia
* single-celled intestinal microscopic parasite
* species-specific
* seen on fecal float or sometimes direct smear
