Parasites Part 5: Coccidia

Coccidia are also intestinal parasites, but are not worms.  They are single celled organisms picked up in the environment similar to the way most worms are acquired-by walking through infected soil and then licking of the feet.

Once in the intestine the organisms multiply within an intestinal cell and destroy it.  Each of the new organisms infects another cell and the process continues, destroying an exponential amount of intestinal cells.  This process results in a watery, and sometimes bloody diarrhea.  Coccidia organisms are shed in the feces of an infected pet and once in the environment can be infective within 12 hours.  It takes 3-11 days for appearance of coccidia in the feces after ingestion.

Coccidiosis is most common in young puppies and immunocompromised animals.  Diagnosis is made via finding organisms on a fecal flotation but sometimes small numbers can be hard to find leading to a false negative result.  Sympotmatic animals are often treated based on signs of infection, especially if they have already been dewormed with routine products several times are parvo virus negative.

The most common drug for treating Coccidia is Albon but there are some other drugs that have been used.  Albon is often administered for 5-10 days.  Because the organisms become infective so rapidly, re-infection is a common problem.  Picking up all fresh stools is vital in eliminating infection.

Coccidia are resistant to all routine disinfectants but can be eliminated by steam cleaning-which is obviously impractical for the backyard!  For this reason, all in-contact animals, especially puppies are often treated prophylactically as a means of eliminating and preventing infection in a household, kennel, or shelter.

Prognosis is usually good unless the animal is severely infected and dehydrated.  Most treatment is done as an outpatient unless IV fluids are needed

Zoonotic Potential
The species of coccidia that infects dogs is not infective to people.

A Star Is Born

Lyric had her Banfield photo shoot yesterday.  It went really well and was pretty fun.  And food was served so that always makes it worth it right?

Anyway, there were several scenes shot the day we were there.  All the dogs got to do some shots in the mock clinic and also some fun, candid photos.  By the way-they used actors/models for the vet and the tech.  If I worked for Banfield I would be offended by this.  But that's not the point.  Lyric got to do scenes with the "vet" and "family," also some with just the "vet."

Then there were some scenes were they only used one dog.  Lyric got picked for all of these!  Words like favorite, perfect, fabulous, too easy,  and so much quality were used to describe my little star and her photos.  She really knows how to ham it up for the camera. She got to model having her teeth brushed, having topical flea meds applied, getting brushed, and playing with a teenage girl.  All the cast and crew and modeling agent loved her.  Hopefully we will get to more shoots for other things!

They said it would take several months but then you can start looking for her at a Banfield near you!  She could be in literature, the website, posters, signs, etc.

For legal reasons I couldn't take or post any photos. But you can see here what she did when we got home. I guess it's not easy being beautiful.

Scanning project-vet school

Our anatomy dog with his head cut in half.  I thought this was the coolest part.  And yes, that's a brain.  As you can see (well sort of given that his body is gone) he was a big, beefy pit-bull type.  To show you how desensitized we got to death I used to crave steak during the muscle dissection part.  Lab was long ok?  A person was bound to get hungry   I'll spare you the rest of the anatomy lab photos...unless you really want to see them.

 From a trip to a vet student convention in Colorado.  This was not a very educational experience for us as you can see.

 This was a cart of cadaver legs.  I presume we were reviewing anatomy or practicing suturing.

 Driving the mule team!

 Junior/Senior Banquet

 Selling dog food at the Gentle Doctor Benefit

 Getting ready for open house

 Mule club

Parasites Part 4: Tapeworms

There are two kinds of tapeworms.  For simplicity we will refer to them as the "flea" tapeworm and the "rodent" tapeworm.

These are those nasty little segmented worms you see around a dog's anus.  The adult worm is actually 6 inches long or more and lives in the small intestine.  As the worm ages, new segments are produced and the older ones fall off.  These are the ones you see in stool or around the anus.  The segments are about the size of a grain of rice and while fresh will still be moving.  Later, they dry up and look like sesame seeds.

These segments contain a packet of eggs and once broken open the eggs can continue the life cycle.  The most common tapeworm is the flea tapeworm.  For this life cycle to continue the tapeworm egg must be ingested by flea larvae.  The flea continues to mature to adulthood with the tapeworm larvae present in what is now an infective stage.  The dog then ingests the adult flea while grooming and the young tapeworm is released into the intestine where it sets up shop and about 3 weeks later you can see segments in the stool.  Tapeworm segments are eggs are not directly infective to dogs, cats or people.

Rodent tapeworms are acquired by eating (as you may have guessed) the internal organs or rabbits, rodents, and some other animals.  The life cycle proceeds similarly to the flea tapeworm at this point.

Tapeworms don't usually cause much harm to the host but they often create an "emergency" when discovered by an owner simply because of the gross factor.

Tapeworms are rarely seen on fecal exam because the segment must first break open to release the eggs.  Most commonly tapeworms are diagnosed by visualization of the segments.  Both kinds of tapeworms can be treated with praziquantel, only the rodent tapeworm can be treated with fenbendazole.  You only need to deworm for tapeworms once to eliminate them but a dog can potentially (not all fleas carry tapeworms) be reinfected every time it consumes a flea.  Therefore, flea control (or minimizing hunting of rodents for the other variety) is necessary for tapeworm control.

Zoonotic potential
Humans can theoretically be infected with a tapeworm but they would need to get it the same way the dog did-by ingesting a flea, or even worse, rodent guts.

Yes, I've been playing on my phone again

Scanning project-grown up stuff

From when we were dating

At a vet school function

I was an animal science major as an undergrad and every year the College of Agriculture puts on a fun show where you can choose a species of farm animal to show.  The first year I chose a horse-the obvious choice for me.  This was the one I was assigned.  I think her name was Black Mare.  

The next year I chose a sheep.  We had to shear them ourselves.  They did not trust students with good clippers.  It took me four hours over 3 days to shear the sheep.  The next year I did not participate and then I went to vet school.

 Physics lab

Homeowners!

 Back in the days of one dog and one cat

A family photo-pre Legend and Lyric

 The three amigos

 OK-so maybe not so grown up

Dog stuff

Legend is still enjoying going running.  The cooler weather doesn't bother her but I'm already ready for spring.  And of course today's 3.75 miles were not enough for her so...are you ready for this?  We did some agility!  First time in at least a month I think.  We just a little of everything-contacts, discriminations, distance, weaves.  The usual suspects.  She did well.

Lyric got to play too.  She worked teeter, table, weaves and discriminations.  All went pretty well.  Also did a few short sequences working on speed.  Speaking of Lyric, she is still having intermittent soft stool so she is now on a regimen of metronidazole and forti-flora (a probiotic).  I also dewormed her for good measure and, much to her dismay, removed all treats from her diet.  Hopefully this will get us back to square one and then I have unenviable task of figuring out which treats (and maybe which foods)  are bad and which are ok.  My theory thus far is some sort of food sensitivity because it seems worse after I know she's had treats.

Also, if this agility thing doesn't work her out, her modeling career is turning pro.  After being "discovered" at an agility trial last year she has been chosen as one of 15 dogs to be used in Banfield's annual advertising shoot.  The photos will be used throughout the year for brochures, store signs, the website etc.  And, it pays! Yay!

We are starting to pick out some trials for the spring but it gets a bit complicated when trying to schedule around running and factoring in that you have to enter AKC trials often before the NADAC trials have even posted on the schedule.  But, I guess that's not the worst problem to have is it?

Scanning project-kid stuff

 Back in my days as an only child 1979

Me and Grandpa

 Many years of Catholic school

 Crazy hat day at school

 Warren cousins

 Playing space invaders on Atari

 First horseback ride

 Cross country districts 1995

Cross country districts 1996

 State meet 1996

Parasites Part 3: Whipworms

Whipworms are another intestinal parasite.  These are small worms (about 30-50mm long) that live in the large intestine.  They are not typically seen with the naked eye.

Whipworms have a direct life cycle meaning there are no intermediate hosts.  They are also not transmitted to unborn puppies or via nursing.  Whipworm eggs are passed from the dog to the soil in stool, just like the other worms previously discussed. In two to four weeks the eggs become infective and can be ingested by the dog during routine grooming as previously discussed.  The eggs hatch in the small intestine, then the larvae proceed to the large intestine where it embeds in the tissue and continues to mature.  Approximately 75 days after ingestion the whipworms will be producing eggs and the cycle begins again.

Although whipworms do suck blood it's typically not enough to be significant.  The primary symptom of whipworm infection is diarrhea.  Because whipworms are cyclic egg layers it's quite possible to have a negative fecal sample in spite of infection.  For this reason treatment is often instituted if symptoms are present even with a negative fecal sample.  Also because of this, even a single egg seen in a sample should be considered significant. 

Whipworm egg

Whipworms are not susceptible to all dewormers.  Panacur (fenbendazole), and Drontal Plus (febantel) will treat whipworms.  Also some heartworm preventatives such as Interceptor and Sentinel (milbemycin) or Advantage multi (Moxidectin) will also treat whipworms.  Because of the long life cycle of the whipworm a second deworming must be done 2-5 months after the first one, and often another one is recommended in between.  An easy protocol to remember is to deworm at time of diagnosis, then again in 3 weeks, and in 3 months.  Also because of the longer life cycle and lack of maternal transmisstion, whipworms are not seen in very young puppies.  

Whipworm eggs are extremely hardy and can live in the environment for years.  This is a big problem as dogs can continually reinfect themselves if they live in a contaminated environment.  For these cases it is especially recommended to use one of the heartworm preventatives that cover whipworms.  

Zoonotic potential

Whipworms do not infect humans.

On foot

Last year I ran 861 miles.  This included 19 races-one half-marathon, three 10ks, and fifteen 5ks.  I don't think I did too badly...

This year my goal is to run 1000 miles.  Wish me luck!