The newbie owners are also not enthusiastic about this prospect and try hard not to “let the enemy into their territory,” but at the same time they have a very vague idea of how this same “enemy” can camouflage itself. Although, what is there to think about! He gave me a pill for prevention, sprayed it with a special spray and you can sleep peacefully. Even in a hug with a baby. But is it really that simple? Are all these methods really effective, and most importantly, safe for minis? – We will try to answer these and many other questions in this article.
It is not much more difficult to detect a tick on a person under your care. To do this, just carefully examine and feel his skin. All strange bumps and pimples fall under suspicion. Especially those that definitely weren’t there yesterday. In addition, the baby will probably scratch the bite site and demonstrate in every possible way his concern about the situation.
Main symptom ear mite There will be intense itching in the ear area. Because of it, the dog will sleep poorly, possibly whine and even injure auricle intensive scratching. And if you look into your ear, you will probably see a dirty gray or dark coating there.
Well, you can suspect helminths based on a number of symptoms. Firstly, the pet’s increased “interest” in the anus area. He may start licking him, sniffing him often, “riding on his butt,” etc. Secondly, the dog will suddenly begin to lose weight. And this despite the fact that you feed him as usual, and the walks have not lengthened and proceed at the same pace. Thirdly, the condition of the coat, namely loss of natural shine, fragility, and loss. This is understandable, helminths take away all those important nutrients, which should go towards maintaining the strength and health of the dog, and the skin and coat are the first to signal their lack. Later, general lethargy, loss of strength and deterioration of appetite “turn on”. In especially advanced cases - vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
By the way, it is not a fact that you will find worms in your dog’s feces. Not all of them are excreted in feces. But some can cause such atypical symptoms as cough, shortness of breath, convulsions, fever, and strange behavior.
Types of helminths
And now there’s a whole zoo here! No other class of animals can boast of such an abundance of forms and species. Naturally, it is impossible to talk about everything in one article. Moreover, even the most experienced veterinarian is hardly familiar with a fifth of all helminths known to science. But still, every dog owner should have an idea about the most common ones.
In accordance with the generally accepted classification, all helminths are divided into:
Nematodes or flatworms . The method of infection is from mother to fetus, by eating contaminated feces, through damaged skin.
Cestodes - flat or tapeworms . The main source of infection is the meat of infected animals, raw fish and seafood. Also eating infected fleas.
Trematodes - fluke worms , i.e. those that are attached to organs using special suction cups. Most often, a dog becomes infected with them if it eats raw meat or fish, or drinks water from open sources.
The most common in dogs are roundworms. And the palm among them belongs to roundworms . Yes, yes, these are exactly the same worms that mothers scare their children with when they say, “Don’t touch the dog, otherwise there will be worms!” because they are also the most common in humans. The causative agents of roundworms are most often Toscocars And toxocarides. In the first case, the helminths will have a decent length (about 20 cm) and are more dangerous to the health and life of the dog. With tocoscaridia, the worms will be shorter, only 3-8 cm, and less infectious. Especially for adult dogs.
In addition to roundworms, very common helminths are:
Hookworms – small (up to 2 cm) roundworms, the larvae often infect the dog’s lungs and, as adults, settle in its intestines. Very dangerous for puppies, but can for a long time live asymptomatically in adults.
Heartworms (cardinematodes) - thread-like, white, long (up to 20 cm) worms. This type helminths are dangerous because they choose the dog’s heart as their habitat. Naturally, this negatively affects its work and can even lead to the death of the animal. Specific localization significantly complicates treatment.
There are four types of flatworms in dogs: Dipylidia (taenia), Taenia hydadidae, Diphyllobothria and Echinococcus . The first three are the ones that instill horror in dog lovers, tapeworms, the length of which can reach 10(!) meters (if infected with diphyllobtriosis). Echinococci compared to them are simply “pot-bellied little things”, only 1 cm, but despite their modest size, they can kill a dog in a few weeks or cause serious damage to the intestines. And in general, flatworms are very dangerous for miniature pets.
No matter how much we would like to, but magic pill There is no one that can rid your pet of all types of helminths in one fell swoop. Let's say more, not even all types of worms are treatable. Therefore, their prevention comes to the fore. Namely:
- Maintaining pet hygiene rules
- Heat treatment of meat and fish products
- Complete exclusion of river fish from the diet
- Suppression of all attempts to eat (lick) feces, drink water from open reservoirs and puddles
- Walking the dog away from places where stray animals gather
- Quarterly, prophylactic appointment anthelmintic drugs
By the way, for the purpose of prevention, it is absolutely not necessary to give your baby “chemistry.” A weekly food supplement in the form of a teaspoon of dried and crushed raw pumpkin seeds or half a clove of garlic will do an excellent job of this. But remember that garlic can only be given to dogs with a healthy stomach and gall bladder. Do you trust pharmacists more? - Then the best choice complex preparations for several types of helminths.
The most reasonable and correct solution to the problem of helminths would be to visit a veterinarian and compulsorily submit stool samples for eggworms and specific tests blood. And only when it becomes clear what exactly the dog has become infected with, can you prescribe necessary drug, and at the same time carry out rehabilitation therapy. At the same time, it is extremely important to follow the recommended dosage and dosage regimen.
Fighting fleas
Fleas, unlike helminths, cannot infect us with such a variety of species and forms and, in 99.9% of cases, the cause of the patient’s discomfort will be Ctenocephalides canis or the dog flea.
It must be said that the modern pet industry offers a simply colossal range of products to combat fleas. Shampoos, sprays, drops, collars, some ampoules... There is a lot to get confused about. And how can you figure out what will help better and protect for longer? – In principle, everything, but there are some nuances. Much depends on the specific goal. It’s one thing if there are already fleas and you need to destroy them, and another thing is prevention. In the first case, the best choice is special shampoos, drops and sprays. In the second - sprays, collars, as well as natural remedies based on essential oils.
It is also important to remember that fleas do not only live and reproduce on the dog. They can also “hide” in your apartment for years in order to attack the ward again at the right moment. Therefore, if there were fleas, then do not be lazy and, together with treating the baby, wash the floors with special means. It can also be purchased at a pet store. And don't be afraid, when correct use This type of cleaning will not harm your pet in any way.
Protecting yourself from ticks
And everything would be fine, well, I would bite myself and bite. Like a mosquito. But, firstly, it is really difficult to unhook him from the dog. And secondly, ixodid ticks very often become carriers of a number of diseases. From helminthiasis to pyropsamosis, borreliosis and even encephalitis. That is why it is so important to make every effort to protect your miniature pet from getting “closely acquainted” with them. And they will help you with this:
How to properly remove a tick?
- Using tweezers. The main thing here is the correct grip, namely as close to the skin as possible. And we don’t pull it out, but carefully unscrew it, and counterclockwise.
- Oil, kerosene, melted wax. All these fluids are designed to block Airways insect or even kill it. Therefore, feel free to drip (smear) them onto his tail or his entire body, wait a little and carefully pull them out. Or maybe you will be lucky and the tick will come out on its own. But be careful not to let the hot wax or kerosene damage your dog’s skin.
- Special device. Yes, they are already producing such ones. How to use it correctly is shown in the photo below. With a little skill, you will become a true tick removal expert!
No matter how hard you tried, the head still remained in the dog’s body? “Then it’s best to take her to a specialist.” No, theoretically you can pull it out yourself, using a sterile needle, like a splinter. And yet it is better not to experiment, but to entrust your pet to professionals.
So, the tick has been removed, the wound has been treated, now what? “We watch the dog very carefully for at least a day. The owner should be alerted to any changes in behavior, general lethargy, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, or increased temperature. In this case, you need to urgently take the dog to the veterinary clinic.
- external, living on the outer integument of the host (leeches, blood-sucking mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, lice eaters, etc.);
Prevention
Everyone by possible means(observing safety precautions for humans and dogs) mosquitoes, flies, bugs, mosquitoes, ants and other insects living near where the dog is kept should be destroyed. Monitor the condition of the bathrooms, as well as the products used to feed the dog, especially the “left” ones - those that could bypass sanitary control (obtained “on occasion” from peasants, workers of meat processing plants and slaughterhouses, etc.).
However, some types helminthic infestations can be diagnosed by the owner himself, For example, diphyllobothriasis- infection (most often) with a worm called “broad tapeworm”. A dog becomes infected with it by eating poorly cooked, raw or dried fish infected with tapeworm larvae. The owner may find fragments of the tapeworm's body on the surface of the dog's feces.
Treatment
Dogs become infected during toileting, when, while licking themselves, they swallow fleas and lice-eaters containing worm larvae (insects are intermediate hosts here).
Symptoms Digestive tract disorders (diarrhea alternating with constipation), colic, acute inflammatory process of the intestinal mucosa becomes chronic. Animals either stop eating altogether or, on the contrary, become voracious, and yet they do not gain weight at all and even lose weight. Visible mucous membranes become pale.
Treatment. Dogs weighing less than 15 kilograms are given Felixan - 0.4 g after a 12-15 hour fast. Larger ones - 0.2-0.3 grams per 1 kilogram of weight. Another drug - fenasal - is given with meat in a dose of 0.1-0.2 grams per kilogram of dog weight. The medicine is added to the feed. The use of “human” medications for helminths - pyrantel and piperazine adipate - can have a good effect, but in this case it is better to consult a veterinarian.
Piperazine adipate and decaris also help in the treatment of other types of worms - NEMATODES(thin worms, such as roundworms).
Prevention. Since the source of infection is lice eaters and their larvae, it is necessary, simultaneously with the treatment of the animal, to exterminate insects in the fur, on bedding - wherever they may be. Bedding is changed frequently. Rugs are scalded with boiling water, everything that can be boiled is boiled, everything that can be ironed is ironed. Used to combat ticks, fleas, and lice eaters. water solution stomosana and neostomosa.
The treatment is repeated after 4 days, and after soaking the wool with the drug solution, the animal does not bathe. Processing should begin from the head. The same drug is used to disinfect the dog’s belongings: leash, collar, muzzle, rug, bedding, as well as the area around its place or booth (as well as the booth itself). In summer, such treatment should be carried out once a month, without waiting for alarming symptoms to appear.
You should carefully examine your dog after walking in summer in places where there is rich grass and vegetation, especially if domestic animals graze there. Pasture ticks found in the ears, in skin folds, on the stomach and in other places with exposed skin (a sucked tick has the shape of a dark bean) should be removed by coating them with alcohol, kerosene, iodine and other potent substances that are not harmful to the dog.
You need to swab the tick with a cotton or gauze pad soaked in a substance or medicine until it falls off on its own. Squeezing a tick on a dog and tearing it off is dangerous- the tick's oral sucking apparatus remains under the dog's skin and inevitably causes infection. And ticks, among other things, transmit the diseases described above and many others.
"Dog Guide"
No dog, regardless of breed or age, is immune from infection with helminthic diseases widespread in nature. Parasitic worms can enter a dog's body in a variety of ways.
Ways a dog can become infected with helminthic diseases:
*The most common way of infecting a dog is through various external sources that contain helminth eggs - dog feces, food, water from puddles and ponds, licking dirty objects infected with eggs, raw fish, and so on. Dogs mainly become infected during daily walks.
*The second route of infection is more rare and occurs during direct contact of a dog with another dog sick with helminth infections or through intermediate hosts living on the dog - fleas and ticks.
Can worms be transmitted from dogs to humans?
What effect do worms have on dogs?
What are the signs of worms in dogs?
Typical signs of worms in dogs are:
If your dog exhibits at least one of the above signs, you and your pet need to visit a veterinary clinic.
- Nematodes (roundworms).
- Cestodes (tapeworms).
- Trematodes (flukes).
- intestinal;
- hepatic;
- pulmonary;
- cardiac.
Each of the above types of worms causes a certain helminthic disease, With characteristic symptoms and the ability to move into chronic form, leading to exhaustion of the dog. It must be borne in mind that nematodes and whipworms can easily infect humans.
Intestinal helminthiases
They are the most common helminthic diseases in dogs. They are usually represented by tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms and hookworms, which enter the dog's body from the environment.
These helminths enter the dog’s body as a result of the dog eating grass. In the body of a dog, toxascaridiosis takes the following path: from the invasive eggs of worms that have entered the dog’s digestive tract, larvae emerge, where they are freed from the shell and migrate throughout the dog’s body. Having been in the liver, they penetrate the right half of the heart, from where they enter the lungs. Then the larvae are selected from the vessels of the lungs, moving into the alveoli, bronchioles and begin to move upward along the bronchi. From the trachea they enter the pharynx. And from here, with food or saliva, they again enter the dog’s digestive tract. In the small intestine, the larvae linger, grow, and after three weeks become adult worms.
Helminth larvae migrating throughout the dog’s body can be found not only in the liver and lungs. Some of the larvae from the lungs enter big circle blood circulation, and from there - into various tissues of animals, where a membrane is formed around them. Light nodules appear in the kidneys, liver, heart and other muscles, in the center of which the larvae are located.
Such nodules are also formed during internal organs, muscles of mice and rats accidentally infected with toxocariasis. A dog that eats such a rodent also gets sick.
Another route of infection is intrauterine. If the dog is pregnant, migrating Toxocara larvae, which enter the systemic circulation, can be introduced into the fetus through the placenta (with its help, communication between the mother’s body and the embryo is established). The larvae linger in the liver and lungs of the fruit. And in the first days of a puppy’s life, they penetrate the intestines.
Dogs with toxascariasis excrete helminth eggs in their feces. IN warm time years, at 30 degrees and sufficient humidity, larvae develop from eggs in three days. From eggs swallowed with food or water in the dog's intestines, larvae hatch, which penetrate into the thickness of the intestinal wall, where the larvae molt. Soon they reappear in the lumen small intestines, where they molt again, grow and reach sexual maturity.
Hookworm– a disease caused by the nematode Ancylostoma caninum. Whitish nematode with a reddish tint. In her mouth she has a capsule in which there are three pairs of symmetrically arranged teeth that are bent inward, like hooks, and those on the side are larger than the rest. Males measure 9-12mm in length, females 9-21mm. After 12-24 hours, after excretion of feces, the larva emerges from the egg. The larvae molt twice and after 5-6 days have the ability to infect. Such rapid development occurs only at an optimal temperature of 20-30 degrees. In this case, a decrease or increase in temperature adversely affects the development of larvae. Raising the temperature to 60 degrees kills eggs and larvae at all stages of their development within 2-3 seconds. Dry hot air with simultaneous action of direct sun rays also leads to rapid death of eggs and larvae.
In winter, all hookworm eggs and larvae die. The larvae can move not only through the soil, but also along plant stems. In the dog's body, the larvae turn into adult worms after 2 weeks. One hookworm lays about 16 thousand eggs per day. The lifespan of hookworms ranges from 43 to 100 weeks. Hookworms live mainly in the duodenum, attaching to the intestinal mucosa with the help of their capsule, they damage it. The dog is experiencing intestinal bleeding. Injuries to the intestinal mucosa become entry points for microorganisms inhabiting the intestines and provoke the occurrence of various infectious diseases in dogs.
After 12-24 hours, after the dog passes feces, the larva emerges from the eggs. The larva molts twice within 5-6 days at the optimal temperature (20-30 ° C) and becomes invasive. A decrease or increase in external temperature has an adverse effect on the development of larvae. Raising the temperature to 60°C kills eggs and larvae at all stages of development within 2-3 seconds. Dry hot air with simultaneous exposure to direct sunlight leads to the rapid death of eggs and larvae.
In winter, all the eggs and larvae of the uncinaria die, and the yards. Where sick dogs stop going, they become safe for the spread of infection.
However, if the eggs survive, the larvae, which are still harmless, lie in the feces. As soon as they have the opportunity to become infected, they begin to crawl out of the feces. The crawled larvae begin to move not only along the soil, but along plant stems.
Dogs become infected when water and food containing uncinaria larvae enter their digestive tract. After 13-16 days in puppies and 2-3 weeks in adult dogs, they reach sexual maturity.
In dogs, there is a second route of infection, when the larvae crawl out onto the grass, land on animals and enter the body even through intact skin. Moreover, when the larvae are carried by blood, only 1% of them end up in the gastrointestinal tract.
Once in the small intestine, uncinaria, with the help of their capsule, attach to the intestinal mucosa, causing its damage. Arises intestinal bleeding. Injuries to the intestinal mucosa, as well as the skin, which appear as a result of the penetration of larvae into the dog’s body, become entry points for various microorganisms and contribute to the occurrence of various infectious diseases.
Additionally, the uncinarium capsule contains a special gland that secretes poisons that destroy red blood cells. These poisons and the release of metabolic products by the worms themselves disrupt the normal functioning of the hematopoietic organs, changing the composition of the blood.
Symptoms of the disease
Acute uncinariasis most often affects young dogs. The intensity of infection with uncinarium in young dogs is always higher than in adults. Puppies can have up to several hundred uncinaria in their intestines.
The acute course of the disease in dogs begins with loss of appetite, up to a complete refusal to eat food, and then its perversion. The dog vomits and has diarrhea, which alternates with constipation. When examining liquid feces, we note the presence of mucus and blood. The visible mucous membranes of the dog are pale upon examination. In the case of a severe course of the disease, the dog begins to bloody diarrhea. On the 8-9th day after infection, the puppy develops eosinophilia (the number of eosinophils in the blood sometimes reaches 40%). Before death, the content of eosinophils in the blood of sick puppies, on the contrary, sharply decreases, which is a poor prognostic sign.
The acute course of uncinariasis lasts from eight days to one month. If treatment is not carried out, the dog dies or the disease becomes chronic.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by the same symptoms as with acute form, but they occur much weaker and more gradually, and with the death of the unicinarium dog in the body, all the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Echinococcosis(echinococcus) is a disease of dogs caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus.
The causative agent is a small cestode, 2-6 mm long. It has a scolex, equipped with 4 suckers, the diameter of which is 0.13 mm, located at a considerable distance from the proboscis, and the proboscis with two rows of hooks (from 28 to 50 hooks). The long harness widens towards the first, almost square segment (asexual). The second segment is hermaphroditic. The genital openings open on the side of the penis. The last segment is mature, it is much longer and wider than the previous one. The segment is filled with a tree-like uterus, which contains 400-800 eggs.
Biology of the pathogen. Dogs in external environment Mature cestode segments are excreted along with feces, contaminating grass, soil, feed, water bodies and other environmental objects. Initially they are on the surface of feces, after 1-3 hours they can no longer be detected. The segments are able to move, and therefore they spread in different directions. The segments stop 5-25 centimeters from the dog’s feces, ending up on grass, hay, straw, and water. They can even climb grass stems. During movement, eggs are released from the front of the segments.
The segments of echinococcus that remain on the dog's anus also spread, seeding the dog's fur located next to the anus with eggs.
When the segments crawl across the skin in the anal area, they cause itching in the dog. The dog begins to crawl with its backside on the ground and a wide variety of objects. At the same time, both segments and eggs of echinococcus appear on them. Additionally, the dog quite often touches the anus with its muzzle, licks places causing itching. The eggs remain on the face, and additional seeding of the fur occurs.
For further development, eggs must reach intermediate hosts - sheep, goats, large pigs cattle, other wild animals that become infected with echinococcosis when worm eggs enter the gastrointestinal tract with food and water. Infection with echinococcosis occurs especially often and easily in pastures, where shepherds' dogs run with livestock.
A person can become ill with echinococcosis under the same circumstances as animals. Echinococcus eggs usually fall to humans directly from the dog, when the owner strokes and caresses it, while he contaminates his hands with eggs stuck to the dog's fur. In the future, eggs from unwashed hands end up on food and with it into the intestines. Children and adults who not only pet dogs but also kiss them can become infected with echinococcosis.
When the intermediate host swallows the eggs of echinococcosis, the larvae are released from their membranes, penetrate the intestinal wall, penetrate the blood vessels or lymphatic vessels and by the flow of blood or lymph are carried into different organs. First of all, they enter the vessels of the liver, where they often linger in the smallest vessels. Hence the liver is their most common habitat. The larvae also often live in the lungs. At the same time, they can penetrate into muscles, other tissue and organs. There, from each larva an echinococcal vesicle grows, which is a dense ball filled with a colorless liquid. In such a bubble there are so-called daughter bubbles, which in turn contain grandchild bubbles, etc. All bubbles are filled with liquid. On the inner surface of these bubbles are capsules, hundreds of capsules with heads. A large number of capsules are also found in the liquid that fills the blisters.
The size of an echinococcal bladder ranges from a pea to a watermelon. Moreover, such a bubble grows slowly, after 5 months the diameter of the bubble reaches one centimeter, size limit it reaches in two to three decades.
Mine life cycle Echinococcus ends when its vesicles with heads are eaten by dogs. Dogs become infected when dog owners feed them the entrails and defective organs of killed farm animals or when the dog eats the carcasses of someone who has died from echinococcosis. livestock and wild herbivores.
From each head located in the capsule, adult echinococci develop. On the 10th day after infection, only heads with an elongated neck are present in the dog’s intestines. On the 25th day the worm consists of two segments. On the 35th day, the echinococcus already has three segments. And only on days 68-97 after infection, the dog’s mature segments begin to come out with feces.
The lifespan of echinococci in a dog’s body ranges from 150 to 187 days.
Pathogenesis. Echinococci begin to exert their pathogenic effect on the dog’s body from the moment the embryonic scolex penetrates the intestinal mucosa. As a result of mechanical damage to the mucous membrane, its swelling develops, with further development inflammation. Additionally, echinococci have a toxic effect on the dog’s body. Echinococcosis in dogs can be complicated infectious diseases( etc.).
Diagnosis. An intravital diagnosis is made by deworming dogs, with the identification of released cestodes, as well as the presence of mature segments of echinococcus in fresh feces. Post-mortem – by finding echinococci in the pathological material.
The definitive hosts are dogs and cats who become infected by eating contaminated raw, frozen, or dried fish. Metacercariae in the dog's gastrointestinal tract are released from the membrane and penetrate through the bile duct into the bile ducts of the liver, as well as into gallbladder and the pancreas, where after 3-4 weeks they reach the sexually mature stage. Due to the presence of suckers, opisthorchiasis digs into the listed organs, causing disruption in their functioning.
Opisthorchiasis is distributed focally, in the river basins from the Ob - Irtysh basin, the basin of the Volga, Don, Dnieper, Northern Dvina rivers. The main places of infection of mollusks are oxbow lakes, channels, branches, bays rich in vegetation.
Pathogenesis. Opisthorchis in bile ducts and the passages of the pancreas mechanically irritate the mucous membrane of the ducts and cause inflammation of the liver parenchyma and pancreatic tissue. Additionally, worms secrete poisons. As a result bile ducts they look like strongly swollen cords or cyst-like expansions form in them, we note degeneration of the tissues of the liver and pancreas.
Signs of illness in a dog.
With a strong intensity of invasion in dogs, during a clinical examination, experts note jaundice (yellowness of the sclera, visible mucous membranes and skin), the skin becomes dry, its elasticity disappears, with chronic course disease, the skin of a sick dog upon palpation is similar to parchment, disorder in the functioning of the digestive organs (periodic diarrhea and constipation), decreased appetite, depression, exhaustion. With deep palpation we find an enlarged liver, in some sick dogs it is possible to establish a tuberous liver, the liver is painful on palpation. Body temperature is usually within normal limits. The disease lasts from several months to 2-3 years.
Diagnosis. An intravital diagnosis is made on the basis of helminth-ovoscopic examination of feces - we find opisthorchis eggs.
Alariasis. The causative agent of the trematode Alaria alata in the mature stage is localized in the stomach and intestines of the dog.
Biology. Alaria eggs with the feces of infested dogs fall into the water, where at an optimal temperature of 21-27°C, after 2 weeks, larvae emerge from them - miracidia, which then actively invade the body of intermediate hosts - freshwater mollusks. The development of larvae in them at a temperature of 22-24 degrees lasts 35-45 days. And at a temperature of 18-19 degrees – 77 days. Cercariae emerging from mollusks actively penetrate the tissues of additional hosts - tadpoles and frogs, where they develop into metacercariae. In tadpoles, metacercariae are found in the tail and body cavity, in frogs - in the muscles of the tongue, in the submandibular muscles, and much less often in the muscles of the paws. Alaria metacercariae, once in the digestive tract of dogs, cannot immediately develop into the sexually mature stage. Initially, freed from the membranes of the cysts, they perforate the wall of the stomach or intestines and enter the abdominal cavity. After this, they penetrate the chest cavity through the diaphragm and are introduced into the lung parenchyma. In the lung, within two weeks they complete the first stage of their development and migrate from the lung through the bronchi, trachea, pharynx and esophagus to gastrointestinal tract of the dog, where they soon reach sexual maturity. Reservoir hosts take part in the development cycle of alaria - different kinds mammals and birds.
Pathogenesis. During the migration of metacercariae from the stomach of dogs into the abdominal cavity, and subsequently into the lung, inflammatory foci appear in the tissues and organs along the course of the alaria larvae, especially in the lung. With intensive invasion, sexually mature alaria cause inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine.
Signs of illness in a dog.
With a small amount of alaria in the dog’s body, there are no symptoms of the disease. When dogs, especially young ones, ingest a large number of alaria larvae, within a few days their body temperature rises. During a clinical examination of such a dog general state depressed, heavy breathing, wheezing on auscultation of the lungs, foci of dullness on percussion. All this leads to high mortality, mainly among puppies. With a strong infestation of mature alaria in a dog, owners note a decrease in appetite, as well as digestive disorders, accompanied by diarrhea and sometimes vomiting.
Diagnosis. An intravital diagnosis is made on the basis of helminth-ovoscopic examination of feces for the presence of large alaria eggs.
Morphology. A cestode up to 5 meters long and consisting of 500-700 segments. The scolex, has a diameter of about 1 mm, is equipped with a proboscis with a double crown of large and small hooks (26-44 hooks). Four suction cups with a diameter of 0.31 mm are close to each other. The neck reaches a length of 0.50 mm. Young segments are short and wide. Hermaphroditic segments are twice as long as they are wide. The posterior edges of the segments somewhat cover the edges of neighboring segments. The genital papillae almost do not protrude beyond the edges of the segment, alternate irregularly and are located near the middle of the lateral edge. The eggs are oval in shape and contain a larva with six hooks (oncosphere).
Dogs become infected by eating the organs of animals affected by cysticerci. Until the sexually mature stage, shadows grow in the intestines of dogs for about 2-3 months, and the life expectancy of cestodes is over a year.
Epizootology. The disease is widespread everywhere where sanitary conditions keeping animals and routine deworming of dogs is not carried out. Hunting dogs become infected by eating the entrails of hunted wild animals, or if hunters do not comply with sanitary rules.
Pathogenesis. Tenias, with their scolex armed with hooks, mechanically damage the dog’s intestinal mucosa, causing bleeding. With a large number of shadows in the intestines in dogs, obstruction and rupture of the intestinal wall may occur, followed by the development of peritonitis. Shadow toxins, absorbed into the blood, disrupt the function of the hematopoietic organs, endocrine glands and cause disorders of the central nervous system. nervous system.
Diagnosis. Veterinary specialists make a lifetime diagnosis of taeniasis in dogs based on signs of the disease and the detection of mature taenia segments in freshly excreted feces.
Morphology. In a dog's body, the wide tapeworm grows up to 6 meters. The size of the scolex is 2-3 mm, it is compressed from the sides and instead of suckers it has two deep slits. The width of the segments exceeds their length. Numerous testes (700-800) are located dorsally in the lateral fields of the segments. The paired ovary in its shape resembles the wings of a butterfly and lies near the posterior edge of the segment... The genital openings are located in the middle of the ventral surface of the body, in each segment there are 3 genital openings: male, vagina and uterus. The eggs are oval in shape, have a length of 0.063-0.073 mm, a width of 0.040.052 mm, and are equipped with a lid.
Development cycle. The broad tapeworm develops with the participation of additional and intermediate hosts. With the feces of dogs, the eggs are released into the external environment; for their further development, they must fall into the water, where a larva covered with cilia (coracidia) develops in the egg. Soon the lid of the egg rises, and the larva leaves the egg and begins to swim in the water.
The larva floats in the water until it is eaten by the Cyclops crustacean or the Diaptomus crustacean. In the intestine of the crustacean, the larva sheds cilia and penetrates into the cavity of its body. After 2-3 weeks, it turns into a second-stage larva (procercoid).
As a result of infection with procercoids, crustaceans become inactive, and they easily become prey for small freshwater fish. Cyclops digest them in their digestive tract, and the larvae penetrate through the wall of the stomach or intestines into the muscles, body cavity, and liver of fish, where they develop to the next larval stage - plerocercides. Plerocercoids are flat larvae ranging from a few millimeters to 15-20 mm in length and 2-3 mm in width.
Small fish containing larvae are caught by pike, perch, ruffe, burbot and other predators - additional hosts for the broad tapeworm. The larvae do not die in them, but penetrate into the cavity of their body, into the muscles. In this case, the smaller the fish, the more tapeworm there is.
Dogs become infected with diphyllobothriasis when fed raw, dried or poorly cooked fish infested with tapeworm plerocercoids.
Once in the body of their final host, the larvae attach their heads to the intestinal wall and begin to grow rapidly. After 2-2.5 months, the wide tapeworm in the dog’s intestines reaches the mature stage and begins to lay eggs. Life expectancy in a dog’s body varies from several months to one and a half years.
Epizootology. Canine teniasis is widespread. This invasion is especially widespread in populated areas where livestock owners keep their farms in unsatisfactory veterinary and sanitary conditions. Hunting dogs most often become infected during hunts, when hunters feed them the entrails of hunted game.
Pathogenesis. Tapeworms, with their attachment organs, damage the dog’s intestinal mucosa, causing inflammation. If there is a large accumulation of tapeworms, a ball of worms can form, resulting in an intestinal obstruction in the dog. Cestodes, releasing large amounts of toxins and poisons, cause damage to the central nervous system, which manifests itself in dogs with seizures and convulsions.
Symptoms of the disease in dogs. Sick dogs are depressed; their owners often note a perverted appetite, vomiting, alternating diarrhea and constipation, as a result of which the dog becomes exhausted.
With intensive infestation by the broad tapeworm, sick dogs develop leukocytosis, a degenerative shift in leukocyte formula, eosinophilia, dysproteinemia, hypercholesterolemia, the content of potassium and sodium in the blood serum decreases. Protein appears in the urine.
Some sick dogs show symptoms of damage to the central nervous system, which are manifested by seizures, convulsions, convulsions, etc.
Diagnosis. When making a diagnosis, pay attention to feeding the dog raw fish and symptoms such as, nervous disorders. A lifetime diagnosis is made based on the discovery of tapeworm eggs in the dog’s feces in a veterinary laboratory. Often the dog owner himself can make the diagnosis when segments or strobila fragments are found on the surface of the feces.
Dirophyllariasis– a helminthic disease of dogs caused by nematodes that are localized in the heart and pulmonary artery, as well as in subcutaneous tissue. This disease is described in more detail on our website in the article -. 
How to deworm a dog?
The dog is usually dewormed in the morning, by giving a single anthelmintic in a small amount of food (a piece of sausage, meat) or by forcefully administering the drug. When carrying out the treatment, preliminary fasting of the dog is not required, nor is it necessary to use a laxative. If the dog has a severe infestation, then treatment with an anthelmintic drug must be repeated after 10 days.
What anthelmintic drugs are available in veterinary pharmacies?
Manufactured anthelmintic drugs that are sold through veterinary pharmacies may contain one active substance, directed against one type of helminth, or contain several active ingredients, which have an effect on a number of helminths.
In practice, there are cases when a dog can be affected by several invasive diseases Therefore, it would be advisable to use a complex anthelmintic drug that has an effect on all types of helminths that the dog has.
All dog owners need to be clear that the dose of each drug is strictly calculated based on the body weight of your dog.
Other drugs are also used, which manufacturers periodically release into the retail veterinary network.
When carrying out deworming, you must keep in mind the fact that if your dog has fleas, which are often carriers of helminths, you must first get rid of them. Otherwise, the deworming you carried out will be useless.
Prevention of helminthic diseases in dogs
To prevent helminths in dogs, deworming is recommended. The first deworming is carried out when the puppy reaches one month of age. In the future this preventive procedure should be repeated every 3 months. Before mating, the female must be dewormed two weeks before mating. To avoid infecting a newborn puppy with worms, deworming must be repeated 2 weeks after birth.
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Based on this, you need to take preventive measures and treatment if necessary. Knowing this information should help you avoid infecting your dogs.
Diphyllobothriasis– infection with a helminth called “broad tapeworm”; the main symptoms of infection are the remains of the body of the worm on the surface of the animal’s feces. A dog can become infected through food, most often through fish that has been infected with tapeworm larvae and has been raw or dried. For treatment, pumpkin seeds, powder or fenasal paste are used. These drugs are given to the dog once and only one of them, the dosage depends on the weight and is calculated according to the principle of 0.1 - 0.2 g per 1 kg of weight of fenasal powder or 0.1 g per 3 kg of weight of fenasal paste (apply to the root of the tongue). Treatment can be considered successful when the helminths leave the body completely (along with the heads). If complete cleansing does not occur and the heads do not come out, then the tapeworms may after a certain time grow to sexual maturity and treatment will have to be carried out again, so it is very important to monitor the completeness of the course of treatment.
Dipylidiasis– a fairly common disease among dogs, the causative agents of which are tapeworms (canine dipylidia or cucumber tapeworm).
Dogs become infected through insects that contain worm larvae. This happens when dogs lick themselves, such as while toileting, and the insects become ingested.
When infected with tapeworms, dogs lose their appetite and lose weight, or, on the contrary, their appetite increases, but the dog continues to lose weight, and diarrhea begins, alternating with constipation. Colic appears and the mucous membranes become inflamed, and the visible mucous membranes turn pale. Intestinal inflammation begins, which can develop into chronic inflammation.
Ticks– common blood-sucking parasites that can be carriers of diseases dangerous to dogs, such as piroplasmosis.
For preventive purposes, dogs should be examined after walks, especially in the spring and summer, when tick activity intensifies. It is advisable to walk your dogs less tall grass. Ticks can appear on any part of an animal’s body (on the ears, near the eyes, in skin folds, on the paws and in the most inconspicuous places), so it is necessary not to lose vigilance and get rid of parasites on time. You can remove ticks by coating them with alcohol, iodine or kerosene, and then swab them, for example, with a cotton pad soaked in the substance so that the parasite falls off. If there are no means to get rid of the tick immediately, you still shouldn’t tear it off or crush it, because if its oral sucking apparatus is not removed with the main body, it can cause Negative consequences, for example, infection. So you should be careful and take care of your dogs.
