Common Canine Parasites - Dog Scouts
|Common Canine Parasites |
|Name of Parasite |Symptoms |Prevention |Treatment |Extra Information |
|Ear Mites |-Head shaking |-A diagnosis of ear mites by the |-Various commercial ear preparations |-Extremely contagious |
|Regular ear cleaning can alert |-Excessive ear scratching |veterinarian is usually made by one of the|are available to kill the mites. These|-If left untreated, ear canals and |
|you to a problem early on |-Ear canal bleeding (Severe cases) |following methods: |products contain an insecticide, |eardrum can become severely damaged |
| |-Reddish-brown to black discharge in the|* Direct visualization of the mites with |usually pyrethin (products without an |and can lead to permanent hearing loss|
| |ears that resemble coffee grounds |an otoscope |insecticide will not kill the mites) |-Many ear mites live all over the |
| |-Sometimes there seem to be no |* Microscopic examination of the ear |-Ears may need to be treated two to |body, including the feet and tail so |
| |observable signs |discharge |four weeks |these areas should also be treated |
| | | |-Easily transferred between pets, all |(most products designed for fleas and |
| | | |pets in the household should receive |ticks such as sprays, dips, and |
| | | |simultaneous treatment. |shampoos, will be effective) |
| | | | |-Be sure to treat the tail |
| | | | |-Treatment of the house and yard is |
| | | | |usually not necessary. |
|Fleas |-Scratching |-Use monthly preventative |-Shampoo/Dip |-More is NOT better when it comes to |
| |-Biting |-Vacuum frequently |-Use flea comb to remove eggs and |chemicals or medications! Follow |
| |-Licking |-Wash all bedding and toys on a regular |adult fleas |package directions when using over the|
| | |basis |-Use monthly prevenative to prevent |counter products and medications. |
| | | |reinfestation |-Watch for adverse reactions (some |
| | | |-Capstar kills fleas within 24 hours |topical treatments have been known to |
| | | |-Clean/ bomb entire house |cause problems |
|Giardia |-Very hard to diagnose |-Keep yard clear from feces |-Vet diagnoses the infection by |-People can catch this from their dog!|
| |-Lack of energy |-Don't allow dog near areas where many |looking for microscopic Giardia cysts |-Can contract this disease by drinking|
| |-Weight loss in spite of a healthy |dog's go to the bathroom and don't pick up|in fresh stool samples |out of a stream or other contaminated |
| |appetite |(common outside apartment buildings) |-Often necessary to examine several |water; licking paws after walking over|
| |-Occasional to severe vomiting, and/or |- Don't allow dog to drink from standing |samples before finding (they are shed |ground or concrete infected with |
| |recurring diarrhea |pools of water |on an irregular basis) |Giardia cysts: or though direct |
| |-Diarrhea and other clinical signs may |-Clean dogs feet after walking outside |-Blood test are often necessary to |contact with an infected animal |
| |get worse or disappear. | |determine the cause of the illness |-Lives in the cells lining the |
| |-May cause damage without revealing | |-Medicate all infected pets in the |beginning of the small intestine(it |
| |symptoms in the early stages | |household with a drug which kills |kills these cells and severely damages|
| | | |Giardia |the bowels) |
| | | |-Clean your yard of all feces daily |-Can prevent the absorption of |
| | | |during the treatment period and |essential nutrients and vitamins |
| | | |regularly after that |-Malnutrition can endanger your pet’s |
| | | |-When finished giving the medication, |health as well as diminished |
| | | |bring a fecal sample to vet for |resistance allows other diseases to |
| | | |microscopic examination |attack |
| | | |-Usually necessary to repeat this | |
| | | |examination a week later and then a | |
| | | |month later to determine whether | |
| | | |further medication will be needed | |
|Heartworms |Acute disease - usually no clinical |-Vet must first test your pet and find the|-Diagnosis is most commonly done by a |-Live in the right side of the heart |
|Checked twice a year at vet |signs (the dog just acquired the |heartworm status to be negative |blood test in your Veterinarian's |and in the large blood vessels that |
| |disease) |-Prevention is in the form of a chewable |office (x-ray, ultrasounds, or other |connect the heart with the lungs, |
| |Mild to moderate - cough, |daily or monthly tablet, given in the |tests may be performed) |obstructing the blood vessels and |
| |reluctance/inability to exercise, |summer months or year round, depending on |-Treatment not without some risk. |chambers |
| |decreased appetite |the climate where you live |- Bloods tests are used to assess |-Dogs with severe infestations can be |
| |Severe - marked shortness of breath, |-The most commonly prescribed oral |kidney and liver function before |home to several hundred heartworms |
| |coughing, fainting episodes, weight |heartworm preventatives are: Heartgard®, |initiating treatment |-The liver can also become damaged |
| |loss, fever, abdominal swelling, death |Interceptor®, and Program®. |-The worms are killed slowly, so as |-On rare occasions, heartworms can |
| | | |not to cause a sudden blockage in the |cause the dog to die of sudden heart |
| | | |heart or lungs, and the patient must |failure |
| | | |be kept quiet | |
| | | |-Medication kills the remaining | |
| | | |microfilariae | |
|Hookworm |-If left untreated, this will lead to |-Keep dog off beaches, in garden, in |-Oral or injected medications that |-Can be ingested or enter through |
|Checked twice a year at vet |severe diarrhea, hemorrhaging, shock, |sandboxes, or in other warm, sandy, moist |destroy the adults |intact skin |
| |and death |areas |-These medications are unable to kill |-Attaches to the small intestine |
| |-Nonspecific, dark, black (tarry), or |- Have vet check for intestinal worms |the larvae, so they will have to be |-The females can lay up to 20,000 eggs|
| |bloody diarrhea |twice a year |taken again in two to four weeks to |each day, so it’s extremely important |
| |-Vomiting | |kill the larvae that have become adult|to have your dog treated if you spot |
| |-Poor or no appetite | |hookworms |symptoms of an infestation |
| |-Pale mucous membranes in the mouth and | |-In some cases, your dog may even need|-They can live weeks without food |
| |generalized pallor | |to have a blood transfusion |independent of a host |
| |-Weakness, emaciation and poor growth | | |-Puppies can be born with them |
| |- Severe anemia | | | |
|Lice |-Can be seen with the naked eye | |-Bathe your dog in pyrethrin shampoo. |-Highly contagious (can only infect |
|Visual scan of dog if seen |-Dry, scruffy coat of hair | |-After drying, apply a pyrethrin spray|your dog if he comes into direct |
|scratching |-Hair loss and severe itching. | |or powder |contact with another infected dog) |
| | | |-Repeat this process in two weeks (not|-Suck blood or chew on the skin of |
| | | |all will be killed after the first |your dog |
| | | |session) | |
|Roundworms |-Diahhrea |-Regular deworming especially if your dog |-Vet checks feces or vomit for worms |- Infected by consuming worm eggs from|
| |-Vomiting (you may see the worms in the |likes to hunt |(may take several checkings) |soil in the environment (generally |
| |vomit) |-Prompt disposal of all dog feces from |-Dewormer |through normal grooming), nursing from|
| |-”Pot belly” appearance |yard and dog parks | |an infected mother dog or during |
| |-Weight loss | | |embryonic development, or consuming a |
| |Very heavy infections can lead to | | |prey animal (usually rodent) that is |
| |pneumonia | | |carrying developing worms |
| |- if there are enough worms, the | | | |
| |intestine can actually become | | | |
| |obstructed. | | | |
|Tapeworm |-Most infestations go unnoticed. |-Prevent and get rid of fleas |-Most over-the-counter wormers won't |-Tapeworms don't lay eggs inside the |
|Check feces on a regular basis |-Sometimes find segments on the couch, | |affect a tapeworm. |pet and for that reason, when |
| |see them in the feces, or find them in | |-Current medication causes the |veterinarians perform fecal flotations|
| |the hair around the anus | |tapeworm to lose their protective |looking for parasite eggs, tapeworms |
| |-Can hear a "rumbly tummy syndrome" | |layer and they are simply digested |are often overlooked |
| |where the animal undergoes increased | |(don't bother looking for remains) | |
| |intestinal motility, cramping and | | | |
| |sometimes gas | | | |
| |-Diarrhea streaked with mucous | | | |
|Ticks |-Check your pet daily for ticks by |-Use spray, powder, spot-on, or a collar |1. Use latex exam gloves to examine |-Do NOT use a match or caustic |
|Check anytime the dog goes into |thoroughly feeling for any lumps under |to prevent infestations |your pet for ticks. Examine using good|materials to try to smother the tick |
|an area known for ticks (woods, |the hair. Pay close attention to ears, |-Check dog daily after outings into wooded|lighting. |or get the tick to 'back out'. This |
|high grasses, etc) and when your|around face, eyes, legs, and belly. |or grassy areas, especially in the Spring |2. When is tick is found embedded in |doesn't work, and may be causing the |
|dog has been around other dogs | | |the skin, use a fine pointed tweezers |tick to regurgitate more saliva (and |
| | | |at the point of attachment, and grasp |potential pathogens) into the skin |
| | | |firmly. Using slow, steady, and firm |-Ticks will range in size from the |
| | | |traction, pull the tick straight out |size of a sesame seed to the size of a|
| | | |from the skin. |fingernail (engorged) |
| | | |3. Cleanse the skin with mild soap and| |
| | | |water. | |
| | | |4. If part of the tick breaks off, you| |
| | | |can try to remove it as you would a | |
| | | |splinter, but it is probably best to | |
| | | |leave it alone. The body will 'eject' | |
| | | |it in time. | |
| | | |5. Place the tick in a jar of alcohol,| |
| | | |noting the date, in case of future | |
| | | |illness. Tick identification and | |
| | | |location of tick infestation will be | |
| | | |important. | |
|Whipworm |-Often no symptoms |-Keep things clean |-Fecal flotation may miss an |-The dog must eat the eggs to get |
| |-Infrequent, nonspecific, or |-Don't allow your dog to eat or chew on |infestation due to irregular releasing|infected (either by licking paws or |
| |blood-streaked diarrhea |things that other dogs have already |of eggs |eating something infected) |
| |-Weight loss. |interacted with |-Use any effective oral wormer, but |-The shell of the larvae is so tough |
| |-When the Whipworm buries it's head in |-After infestation, replace all old toys ,|avoid most over-the-counter wormers as|that the eggs can live in the soil for|
| |the intestine wall it causes a |bones, and other items that the dog likes |they won't work |years (they resist freezing but are |
| |tremendous inflammatory reaction. The |to chew on. If your dog is kenneled or | |susceptible to drying and sunlight |
| |inflammed intestinal wall gets red, |tied out, it needs to be moved to new | | |
| |erroded and prone to invasion by |ground to get away from the eggs. | | |
| |bacteria. |-If unable to move the pen, administer a | | |
| | |low level wormer everyday to prevent | | |
| | |reinfestation. | | |
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