| Endoparasitism - Internal Parasites of Animals Large and Small
-J.Fry,DVM
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| The common symptoms of most species of animals with significant numbers of gastro-intestinal (GI) parasites include: unthriftness, weight loss, abnormal bowel movements, and anemia. Most GI parasites are acquired by ingestion of eggs or oocytes passed in the feces of infected animals.
Dog(canine): The most common GI parasites of the dog are the: hookwoorm Ancylostoma caninum, roundworm Toxocara canis, whipworm Tricuris vulpis, coccidia Isospora canis giardia, and tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. All of the above parasites, except tapeworms, can cause significant illness. Tapeworms, while aesthetically unappealing, are not a health risk. These parasites can be detected with periodic fecal examinations. Specific dewormers and parasitacides are needed to remove the parasites, with some parasites requiring multiday therapy. Cat(feline): The most common parasites of the cat are the: hookworm Ancylostoma tubaeformae, roundworm Toxocara felis, coccidia Isopora felis, and tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. Although the common names are the same as the dog parasites, the actual parasite is exclusive to the cat, except the tapeworm, which can infect both dogs and cats. The tapeworm is acquired by ingestion of fleas contaminated with tapeworm oocytes. As with dogs, the above parasites, except tapeworms, can cause significant illness. Outdoor cats tend to have higher numbers of GI parasites, but occasionally indoor cats can have significant parasite numbers via self-reinfestation, especially tapeworms. These parasites can be removed by specific dewormers and coccidiostats with some requiring multiday therapy. |
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| Horse(equine): The most common parasites of the horse are the: Large strongyles Strongylus vulgaris or Strongylus edentatus, Trichostrongyles, Bots Gastrophilus species, roundworms Parascaris species, and tapeworms Anaplocephela species. The parasite of greatest importance are the large strongyles, sometimes known as bloodworms. They acquired this name, not because they float through the horses veins, but from the migration of the developing stages of the parasite through the walls of digestive system arteries. This can permanently damage these arteries. Recently small strongyles are thought to play a more significant role in weight problems in the horse. Most other GI parasites can be controlled with a good deworming program. Small strongyles can be a persistant problem because of a type of hybernatio, called bypobios, the encysted form of the parasite under goes while hiding in the wall of the intestine. Repeated multiday therapy may be required to control this type of problem.
Cattle(bovine): The most common parasites of cattle are the: brown stomach worm Ostertagia species, fluke Fasciola species, collidia Eimeria species, barber pole worm Haemorchus species. In the southern statae, the brown stomach worm, when acquired during the spring, will as summer approaches, bury themselves in the wall of the abomasum or true stomach. Many dewormers given during the summer are ineffective against these hypobiotic , buried worms. These hibernating worms, as fall arrives, will awaken and leave the stomach wall in great numbers. This causes severe ulceration of the stomach with ensuing loss of large quantities of blood cells and blood proteins. This syndrom can cause acute death. A twice yearly deworming in spring and fall should control this parasite and most others. In areas where this parasite is prevalent, a mid-summer deworming with a product that kills the jypobiotic stage may be necessary. Flukes damage the liver and yearly defluking should be done in the fall. |
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| Please visit our individual animal pages for more information on suggested worming schedules and product types. If you have any questions regarding parasites and your animals - feel free to ask! E-Mail or give us a call at 979-865-3664. | |||||||||||
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