1. Preventative Medicine for Heartworms and Intestinal Parasites
Advanced Veterinary Terminology
VETE 4302
Michelle Hervey, LVT
03/01/2015

2. Dirofilaria immitis Life Cycle
Affects L3 & L4 stage of Dirofilaria immitis
Prevents L3’s from becoming L4’s
Which prevents L5’s from becoming adults
If no adults there are no microfilariae

3. Hosts Dogs starting at 6 weeks of age Cats starting at 6 weeks of age

4. Clinical Signs
Asymptomatic, and will be discovered on routine annual Heartworm Test.
Coughing, dyspnea
Exercise intolerance
Hemoptysis (coughing blood)
Ascites

5. Preventative Forms
Preventatives come in topical, oral tablets, and oral chews.
Topical for Dogs and Cats
Chewable Tablets for Dogs
Chewable for Dogs and Cats
Topical for Dogs and Cats

6. Preventatives Advantage Multi for Dogs and Cats/Topical
Revolution for Dogs and Cats/Topical
Trifexis for dogs/Tablets
Heartgard Plus and Heartgard/Chews

7. Diagnosis Diagnosis Positive antigen test Positive concentration test
Radiographs with right ventricle enlargement, enlargement of pulmonary artery, enlarged loblar arteries, increased perivascular patters.
Ultrasound with turbulent blood flow and heartworms visible in the right ventricle of the hreat.
(Summers, 2007)

8. Treatments Immiticide (only Treatment of adults) Contains Arsenic
Harmful to patient
Expensive to client
Hard to get
Given in 2 to 3 Doses

9. Treatments vs. Preventative
Preventatives
Immiticide (only Treatment of adults)
Contains Arsenic
Harmful to patient
Expensive to client
Hard to get
Given in 2 to 3 Doses
Preventatives are given every 30 days.
Protect against heartworms, and intestinal parasites.
Some preventatives are 3 in ones which protect against ectoparasites, heartworms and intestinal parasites.
The monthly cost of preventative vs. the cost of treatment is inecpensive.

10. Intestinal Parasites Common in Dogs Common in Cats
Ancylostoma caninum (Canine Hook Worm)
Toxacara canis
(Canine Round Worm)
Toxascaris leonina
(Canine and Feline Round Worm)
Trichuris vulpis
(Canine Whipworm)
Ancylostoma tubaeforme
(FelineHook worm)
Ancylostoma braziliese
(Southern Hook Worm)
Toxocara cati
(Feline Round Worm)
Toxascaris leonina
(Canine and Feline Round Worm)

11. Ancylostoma spp (Canine & Feline Hook Worm)
Life Cycle
Transmission
Direct life cycle
Hosts: Dogs and Cats
Eggs in feces
Molt from L1-L3 in environment
Migration dependant on host
Skin penetration by L3 larva
Transmammary-most common route for puppies and kittens.

12. Clinical Signs Pale Mucus Membranes Anemia Dull hair coat Lethargy
Diarrhea
Melena
Anorexia

13. Diagnosis Seen on fecal flotation Assume all puppies are infected.

14. Public Health Significance
Cutaneous Larval Migrans
People can become infected with L3 through skin penitration.
L3 are in a local location causing the person severe pruritus.
Rarely migrate through viscera
Humans are a dead end host for the hook worm.

15. Toxacara spp and Toxascaris spp (Canine and Feline Round Worm)
Life Cycle
Transmission
Direct Life Cycle
Hosts: Dogs and Cats
Eggs in feces
Infective Stage L2 (highly resistant to environment)
Migration dependant on transmission and age of infection.
Ingestion
Transplacental (Puppies)
Ingestion of paratenic host with L2 in tissues (uncommon)
Transmammary (uncommon)

16. Clinical Signs Vomiting Diarrhea Pot-bellied Dull hair coat
Can have intestinal obstruction
Cough
Pneumonia related lung migration

17. Diagnosis Found on fecal flotation Assume puppies are infected

18. Public Health Significance
Visceral Larval Migrans
Ocular Larval Migrans
Humans can be paratenic host (fecal-oral transmission)
Larvae migrate through viscera to the liver, lungs, CNS.
Can cause blindness
Children less then 4 yrs of age are most affected because they put unclean hands infected with L2 feces in their mouth.
This is also why dogs and cats should not be allowed to lick people in the face.

19. Public Health Significance Pictures

20. Trichuris spp. (Canine and Feline Whipworm)
Life Cycle
Transmission
Direct Life Cycle
Host: Dogs and Cats (rare in cats)
Location: Large Intestine
Eggs in feces
Infective L3 stage
NO tissue migrans
Prepatent period: 3 months
Fecal -Oral

21. Clinical Signs Mucoid diarrhea +/- Hematochezia Anemia
Can be asymptomatic with low worm burdens
Inflammation of cecum.

22. Diagnosis Found on fecal floatation.
If suspected infection fecal should sit for 15 minutes because Trichuris spp. are heavy eggs and take longer to float up to the surface.

23. Public Health Significance
No public health significance

24. Preventatives vs. Treatment
Preventatives can be costly for animal owners and there are many available. It can be hard for owners to decide which one to go with. As veterinary professionals we can assist owners and explain the significance of preventatives. Preventatives are better for the patients and many protect against heartworms, intestinal parasite, and they often do ectoparasites as well. The owner needs to decide which preventative is easiest to give to their pet. The preventatives come in topical, oral tablets, and oral chews. These are to be given every 30 days to prevent heartworms, intestinal parasites, and ectoparasites (if labeled for them). Owners will be happier with their pets health, and do not have to worry about their pet passing intestinal parasites to themselves or their children. Heartworm prevention is so much easier then the treatments. Treatments involve giving the pet an adulticide called Immiticide. The treatments are harmful to the pets because they contain arsenic, and the cost to the owner could be thousands of dollars to treat. The pets have to be kept still and confined after treatments. Once the owner is properly informed of the pros and cons of preventative vs. treatment the owners will be happy they made the decision to use preventative. Their pets health will be better as well.

25. References
Foreyt, W.J.,(2001).Veterinary Parasitology Reference Manual Fifth Edition. Blackwell Publishing. Ames, Iowa. Print Hendrix, C.M., Robinson, E.,(2012) Diagnostic Parasitology for Veterinary Technicians Fourth Edition. Elsevier Mosby. St. Louis, MO. Print Romich, J.A.,(2010).Fundamentals of Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians Second Edition. Delmar. Cengage Learning. Clifton Park, NY. Print Summers, A.,(2007)Common Diseases of Companion Animals Second Edition. Mosby Elsevier. St. Louis, MO. Print Zajac, A.M., Conboy, G.A.,(2012). Veterinary Clinical Parasitology Eighth Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. Ames, Iowa. Print