Treatment of parasitic diseases in dogs. Dog diseases: diseases associated with parasites

Antiprotozoal, or antiprotozoal, agents are used in dogs and cats and other animals against protozoal diseases (azidine, berenyl, trypansine, etc.).

compliance with the rules of keeping and feeding dogs and cats, taking good care of them;

extermination of mice and rats, catching and destruction of stray dogs and cats - distributors of invasion among domestic animals and humans;

thorough preventive measures against anthropozoons (trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, etc.;

carrying out preventive deworming and chemopreventive treatments for dogs and cats;

prohibition of feeding animals with infested (contaminated) meat products and their waste;

isolation of dogs and cats affected by skin and other diseases.

Helminthiasis

Helminthiases are the most numerous diseases (more than 60%) and are widespread. Among helminthiases of dogs and cats, trematodes, cestodes, and nematodes are distinguished. Their pathogens differ sharply in structure and development. Acanthocephalans are not recorded in these animals.

Cestodoses are diseases whose causative agents belong to tapeworms - (hydatigenous taeniasis, pisiform taeniasis, feline hydatigenosis, canine multiceptosis, canine echinococcosis, canine alveococcosis, dipylidiasis and dephyllobothriasis).

Nematodes are caused by helminths from the class roundworms- (toxocariasis, canine toxascariasis, canine hookworm disease and trichinosis).

Geohelminths develop directly without the participation of an intermediate host (Toxocara dogs, etc.), that is, the life cycle of the helminth occurs in the same animal. In addition to the definitive (main) host, the development of biohelminths involves an intermediate and sometimes an additional host (echinococcus, opisthorchus, etc.), in whose body the helminth goes through a certain stage of development - maturation.

Opisthorchiasis

Etiology

Opisthorchis feline has a lanceolate-shaped body about 10 mm long.

Life cycle

Opisthorchus is a biohelminth. It develops with a change of three groups of hosts: definitive (animals and humans), intermediate (freshwater mollusk Bithinia) and additional (cyprinid fish).

Dogs, cats and humans become infected by eating fish containing small invasive larvae in the muscles - metacercania (0.2 mm in diameter). Animals and humans become infected by eating fish caught in an unfavorable body of water.

Epizootological data

The transmission factor for opisthorchiasis infestation is raw, frozen, lightly salted and dried fish infected with larvae (metacercaria) of opisthorchiasis. Natural foci of this trematode infection are often created by aquatic fur-bearing animals.

Signs of illness

Signs of the disease are indigestion, emaciation, yellowness of the conjunctiva).

Opisthorchid is diagnosed intravitally in a veterinary laboratory by examining fecal samples of dogs and cats using the method of sequential washing and detection of trematode eggs.

First aid

Measure body temperature. Prescribe an easily digestible diet. Send the dog to a veterinary hospital and take a fecal sample for laboratory testing. Carry out a thorough cleaning of the room and bed.

For deworming of domestic and wild carnivores, hexichol and hexachloroethane, hexachloroparaxylene are used in the same doses as hexachloroethane.

Hexichol is prescribed in a dose of 0.2 g/kg, once, individually, in a mixture with a small amount of minced meat after a 12-hour fast. In severe cases of opisthorchiasis, hexichol is used in fractional doses (0.1 g/kg per dose) for two days in a row.

Prevention

It is prohibited to feed raw, smoked or dried fish to animals and humans.

Causes of the disease

Tenia hydatigenis is one of the largest cestodes of dogs and cats (up to 5 m in length), with an armed scolex (25–45 hooks), numerous testes (500–600), a two-lobed ovary in hermaphrodite segments and a branched uterus (5–10 processes with each sides) in mature segments.

Tenia hydatigenis is a biohelminth. The main hosts (dogs, wolves, etc.) and intermediate hosts (domestic and wild herbivores, pigs and rarely humans) take part in the development of this cestode. Dogs and cats become infected by eating omentums and other internal organs of intermediate hosts, infested with large thin-walled bladder-like larvae (up to chicken egg), called “thin-necked” ciscerci with one scolex inside.

Epizootological data

Signs of illness

With a high intensity of invasion (more than five copies of cestodes in the intestines), sick dogs experience alternating diarrhea and constipation, emaciation, perverted appetite, itching in the anus, and convulsions.

The presence of mature penises in dog feces can be detected by the owner. They must be collected with tweezers into a bottle and delivered to a veterinary institution to determine the species.

First aid

Vitamin, milk diet. For constipation, it is necessary to prescribe a laxative - castor oil in quantities from one teaspoon (for cats and small dogs) to 50 ml for medium and up to 100 ml for large dogs.

For taeniasis hydatigenis, as well as for other cestodiases, arecoline hydrobromide and phenosal are used to deworm dogs. Arecoline hydrobromide is prescribed at a dose of 0.004 k/kg of animal weight, a single dose should not exceed 0.12 g, 12 hours after the last feeding with milk in bread boluses, pieces of meat or powder. The last feeding before giving the anthelmintic should not be plentiful, and the food is given in the form of porridge.

Before deworming, dogs are not given bones. When using arecoline, dogs are kept on a leash for 12 hours (up to three bowel movements).

Pumpkin seeds are cleaned and ground into powder, which is mixed with 6 parts water. The mixture is boiled for 1 hour. After cooling, remove oil from the surface. The gruel is mixed with an equal amount of flour. Dogs are given 100–200 g on an empty stomach, then an hour later a laxative.

Anazole 25 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Droncid 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight.

Fenosal is used in a dose of 0.25 g/kg individually, once in the form of a powder mixed with food, as well as tablets without keeping dogs on a starvation diet and without the use of laxatives.

Prevention

Boiling all meat waste that goes into dog food. Dogs over 3- one month old, located in flocks and herds, are dewormed every 45 days. In conditions of pronounced seasonality, their infection is at least once a quarter. Dogs that do not have contact with public livestock are subjected to preventive treatments twice a year (spring and autumn). Catching and destroying stray dogs and cats.

Taeniasis pisiformis

Tenia pisiformis is similar in structure to Tenia hydatigenus.

This cestode is a biohelminth. Definitive hosts become infected with taeniasis by eating omentums and other organs of rabbits and hares (intermediate hosts) infested with small pisiform cysticerci.

Hunting dogs and wolves are the main sources of taenia infestation in nature. Young animals, especially stray dogs and cats, become more intensively infected.

Signs of illness

With a high intensity of invasion (more than five copies of cestodes in the intestines), sick dogs experience alternating diarrhea and constipation, emaciation, convulsions, itching in the anus, and perverted appetite.

The presence of mature segments in dog feces can be detected by the owner. They need to be collected with tweezers into a bottle and taken to a veterinary facility to determine the species.

First aid

Dairy, vitamin diet. For constipation, a laxative is prescribed - castor oil in quantities from one teaspoon (for cats and small dogs) to 50 ml for medium and up to 100 ml for large dogs.

Treatment is the same as for taeniasis hydatigenis.

Prevention

In order to prevent infection of hunting dogs with taeniasis, they should not be fed the internal organs of hares, which are often affected by pisiform cysticerci. When slaughtering rabbits at home, the liver, omentum and mesenteries must be boiled before feeding them to dogs and cats.

Feline hydatigerosis

Feline hydatigerosis is a helminthiasis in cats caused by a cestode.

The causative agent of hydatigerosis in domestic and wild cats is a cestode specific to cats - Hydatigera tenieformis, which is localized in their small intestine.

In addition to house mice and gray rats, laboratory white mice and rats are often affected by strobilocerci. The main factor in the transmission of hydatigenic infection to laboratory mice and rats is food contaminated with hydatigenic eggs (if infected cats have access to it).

Signs of illness

Cats experience depression, bloating, prolonged diarrhea, emaciation, sometimes vomiting.

The diagnostic methods are the same as for the previously described taeniasis.

First aid

If the cat has poor appetite, a milk diet is prescribed. We recommend wet cleaning of the apartment using a 2% chloramine solution. The anal area is periodically wiped with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Cats infected with hydatiger are dewormed with phenosal without a preliminary starvation diet (0.1 g/kg of animal weight), bunamidine (0.05 g/kg) mixed with minced meat.

Prevention

Main preventive measure against hydatigerosis in cats, a break in the biological chain is considered: cat - hydatigera - mouse or rat. The destruction of mice and rats prevents infection of cats, and the isolation of food for laboratory animals from cats eliminates the infestation of mouse-like rodents.

Canine multiceptosis

Causes and course of the disease

The brain tapeworm is a medium-length cestode (60–80 cm).

The brain tapeworm develops with a change of hosts. Dogs, wolves and foxes are the definitive hosts, while sheep and very rarely humans are intermediate hosts. Dogs and wolves are infected by eating sheep's heads, the brains of which contain tsenur, or the larval stage of the multiceps pathogen. The cenurus is a thin-walled bladder of significant size (up to a chicken egg or larger), containing fluid and many scolex on the inner membrane (300–500 pieces). Localization of the tsenur is the brain and, less often, the spinal cord of the sheep.

Multiceptus infestation is spread mainly by shepherd dogs. One such dog releases several million brain tapeworm eggs into the external environment (pasture).

The signs of the disease do not differ significantly from the symptoms of taeniasis hydatigenis.

First aid

Before subjecting a dog to deworming, it needs to improve its housing and feeding conditions. Bones should not be fed. If there is constipation, the condition of the sick animal is alleviated by a cleansing enema using a medium-sized syringe. Used for enema clean water room temperature. To avoid pain, water is poured slowly into the animal’s intestines. In some cases, to facilitate the excretion of feces, castor oil or a small amount of baby soap (a tablespoon of shavings per 1 liter of water) is added to the water.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment and prevention are not fundamentally different from those for taeniasis hydatigenes. In addition, it is necessary to reliably disinfect the heads of slaughtered sheep infested with tsenuria by thermal means.

Canine echinococcosis

Sexually mature Echinococcus granulosa is a very small cestode (2–6 mm in length), consists of a scolex armed with 30–40 hooks and 3–4 segments. The last segment is filled with a sac-like uterus, which contains 500–750 small eggs.

The development of Echinococcus granulosa occurs when mandatory participation main hosts (dogs, wolves, foxes) and intermediate hosts (ungulates and humans). The primary (definitive) hosts become infected with imaginal echinococcus by eating the liver, as well as other organs and tissues infected with viable echinococcal bladders containing daughter and grandchild bladders. The number of scolex in one bladder can range from tens to several hundreds or thousands.

Echinococcosis belongs to the widespread cestodeses of domestic animals. If personal hygiene rules are not followed when interacting with dogs, a person can become infected with the larval stage of echinococcus.

Signs and course of the disease

In dogs with mature echinococcosis, attention is drawn to symptoms such as exhaustion, persistent diarrhea, sometimes followed by constipation, an enlarged abdomen, and depression in the general condition of the animal. During such a period, a sick dog poses a great danger to humans. Viable cestode eggs are concentrated on the fur of different parts of the body and on the face.

Small segments of echinococcus can only be detected by examining samples of dog feces using the method of sequential washing (previously doused with boiling water). If the test is negative, a dog suspected of having echinococcosis can be subjected to diagnostic deworming with arecoline.

It must be remembered that Echinococcus granulosa, unlike the causative agents of other carnivorous taeniasis, has maximum resistance to anthelmintics, especially in the immature stage, therefore the recommended anti-echinococcosis drugs should be used in optimal therapeutic doses for dogs: phenosal (0.25 g/kg animal weight), arecoline hydrobromide (0.004 g/kg), droncit (0.005 g/kg), vtozol, phenozol.

Prevention

Prevention should be aimed at preventing infection with larval echinococcosis in humans and farm animals, on the one hand, and at preventing infection of dogs and wild carnivores with imaginal echinococcosis, on the other.

Alveococcosis of dogs

Causes of the disease

In structure, alveococcus resembles echinococcus, differing from it in the slightly smaller size of the strobili, the number of testes in the hermaphroditic segment and the round shape of the uterus in the mature segment.

The main role in the development of alveococcus multilocularus as the definitive hosts is played by wild predators - arctic foxes and foxes, as well as wolves and dogs, and intermediate ones - cotton rats, muskrats, voles, and less often - humans. Definitive hosts become infected with imaginal alveococcosis by eating the infested liver and other internal organs of rodents affected by the larval stage of this cestode.

A person becomes infected with larval alveococcosis by eating unwashed lingonberries, cloudberries, blueberries, collected in places where foxes and arctic foxes live, as well as by contact with the skins of these fur-bearing animals. Alveococcus larvae are a conglomerate of small vesicles without liquid, but with scolex. Granulation tissue develops in the spaces between the vesicles. A section of the larval stage of this cystode shows noticeable cellularity.

Alveococcosis in the form of natural foci is often recorded in zones of taiga, tundra and desert, inhabited by arctic foxes and foxes, on the one hand, and mouse-like rodents, on the other.

Signs of the disease in animals have not been studied.

In humans, the disease is very severe. Urgent need surgery, which does not always end well.

In dogs, imaginal alveococcosis is recognized using the same methods as echinococcosis.

First aid and treatment are carried out using the same methods as for echinococcosis.

Prevention

The main distributors of the invasion - arctic foxes and foxes - are not subjected to deworming. The internal organs of arctic foxes and foxes are destroyed.

Depilidiosis

Dipylidiasis is recorded at different times of the year. Fleas play a major role in the transmission of infestations. Stray dogs and stray cats are often and intensively infected.

Signs of illness

With a weak degree of invasion (single specimens of helminths), a latent form of dipylidiosis is noted. The severe form of the disease in dogs and cats is characterized by perverted appetite, depression, emaciation and nervous symptoms.

At home, owners can find microscopic elongated mature segments of cucumber tapeworm in freshly excreted feces of sick dogs or cats, and in a veterinary laboratory - egg capsules.

First aid

Seriously ill animals are given a milk diet. If constipation occurs, castor oil is carefully poured into the dog’s mouth from one teaspoon to three tablespoons, depending on the size of the animal.

In case of dipilidia in dogs, they are dewormed as in case of taeniasis hydatigenis, and in cats - as in case of hydatigenosis.

Prevention

To protect children from contracting dipylidia, care should be taken to ensure that cats and dogs do not have access to the kitchen.

Diphyllobothriasis

The wide tapeworm has a maximum length of 10 m and a width of up to 1.5 cm and great amount members (over 1 thousand). Eggs of the trematode type are medium in size, oval in shape, light yellow in color, immature. One tapeworm produces several million eggs every day.

The broad tapeworm develops in a complex way - with a change of definitive hosts (dogs, cats, foxes and humans), intermediate (Cyclops copepods) and additional (pike, perch, ruffe, etc.). Definitive hosts become infected by eating raw or lightly salted fish infested with small larvae or plerocercoids (up to 6 mm in length). Plerocercoids live in the muscles, subcutaneous cells and eggs.

Signs of illness

Young animals with diphyllobothriasis experience nervous disorders (drowsiness, convulsions, seizures), perverted appetite and anemia.

Diphyllobothriasis is diagnosed intravitally on the basis of epidemiological data (feeding animals with fish), clinical symptoms (nervous disorders), laboratory research samples of feces of dogs and cats by sequential washing or flotation using a saturated solution of sodium thiosulfate.

Dogs and cats are dewormed with the same drugs that are recommended for hydatigenic taeniasis and hydatigerosis.

Prevention

It is prohibited to feed dogs and cats, as well as wild fur-bearing animals (in fur farms), raw freshwater fish obtained from unfavorable reservoirs. Conduct scheduled deworming of dogs (in spring and autumn), helminthological examination of water bodies, as well as sanitary educational work among fishermen.

Trichinosis

Intestinal trichinella is one of the smallest nematodes (1.5–4 mm). Males have no spicules. Females are viviparous. The larva (muscular trichinella) is located in a lemon-shaped capsule of microscopic size.

The life cycle of Trichinella occurs in one organism, first in the form of intestinal and then muscular trichinosis. Animals and humans become infected by eating meat containing invasive Trichinella larvae.

Trichinosis is widespread focally. Factors of transmission of infection for dogs and cats are eating mouse-like rodents, slaughterhouse and kitchen waste.

Signs of illness

The symptoms of the disease have not been studied enough. Dogs and cats have fever and diarrhea; a person has fever, swelling of the face, headache, soreness of a muscle group.

Diagnostics for dogs and cats has not been developed.

Treatment of animals with trichinosis has not been developed.

Prevention

Extermination of rats, mice, stray dogs and cats. All carcasses of pigs and other susceptible animals must be subjected to trichinoscopy. Veterinary and medical workers carry out anti-trichinosis measures in disadvantaged areas together.

Hookworm disease

Causes of the disease

Hookworms are small nematodes (6–20 mm in length), one of which has a subterminally located oral capsule armed with triple teeth (hookworm), and the other with cutting chitinous plates (uncinaria).

The causative agents of hookworm disease develop directly. In the external environment, nematode eggs hatch into larvae, which molt twice and become invasive after 7 days. Dogs and cats become infected in two ways:

nutritionally (when ingesting infective larvae);

through the skin.

In animals, hookworm and uncinaria larvae migrate through the circulatory system before reaching sexual maturity in the small intestine.

Uncinariasis in dogs is recorded everywhere. Factors of transmission of invasion are water and food, as well as soil and litter contaminated with invasive hookworm larvae.

Signs of hookworm disease

Clinically, these nematodes have an acute and chronic course. At acute course diseases caused by preimaginal forms of worms, anemic mucous membranes are observed (nematodes feed on blood), depression, vomiting, and the presence of mucus and blood in the feces. In chronic cases - diarrhea and emaciation.

Along with the medical history, taking into account epidemiological data and clinical symptoms, it is necessary to examine fecal samples of dogs and cats to identify eggs of the strongylid type.

First aid

It is advisable to measure body temperature. Depending on the prevalence of certain disease symptoms, owners of some animals use laxatives for constipation, others - mucous decoctions, others - heat to the abdominal area (for pain and vomiting), etc.

For deworming of sick dogs and cats, piperazine salts (apidinate, sulfate, etc.) are used at a dose of 0.2 g/kg for 3 days in a row, naftamon (0.3 g/kg), tetramizole granulate (0.08 g/kg) once with minced meat or porridge.

Prevention

The measures recommended for canine toxascariasis are also effective for hookworm infections. Keeping the floors in kennels, cages and walking areas clean significantly prevents the active entry of invasive larvae of the worm into the body of dogs and cats through the skin.

Canine toxascariasis

Toxascaridae is a medium-sized nematode (4–10 cm in length). At the head end it has three lips and narrow cuticular wings.

Toxascariasis most often affects adult animals and young dogs older than six months. Factors of infection transmission are food and water contaminated with invasive toxascarid eggs, as well as mouse-like rodents.

Signs of illness

Signs of the disease are uncharacteristic.

Sick dogs have a depressed state; Disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system (diarrhea) and the nervous system are noticeable - epileptic convulsions.

The main method for diagnosing toxascariasis in dogs is the examination of samples of freshly excreted feces in a veterinary laboratory. Clinical symptoms and epizootological data of this helminthiasis are of secondary importance. There are often cases of toxascarides being excreted in feces or vomit.

First aid

If single toxascarides are detected released into the external environment, piperazine adipate can be used as an anthelmintic at home at a dose of 0.2 g/kg of animal weight, 3 days in a row, daily with food.

Piperazine salts (adipate or sulfate) are used with food in the dose indicated above; naphtamon (0.2 g/kg), once, individually after a 12-hour fast. Fenzol, ivomec and other drugs are also used. It must be borne in mind that some breeds of dogs (collies, etc.) do not tolerate ivomec well, so at the same time they use antihistamines - diphenhydramine 1% solution only intramuscularly.

Feces excreted within three days after treatment are burned or buried deep in the ground. Cages and booths where animals are kept are disinfected with a blowtorch fire or boiling water.

Prevention

The main preventive measure against toxascariasis is the daily cleaning of dog kennels, playgrounds, cages, pens (places where animals are kept) and their periodic disinfection (destruction of helminth eggs) using thermal agents.

Toxocariasis in dogs and cats

Toxocariasis is an invasive disease of young dogs and foxes.

Cause of illness

Toxocaras are nematodes of considerable size (males up to 10 cm long, females up to 18 cm).

Toxocariasis is one of the most common helminth infections of carnivores at a young age (up to 3 months of age). The eggs of these pathogens are very resistant to chemicals (in a 3% formaldehyde solution they remain viable for several years).

Signs of illness

Clinical toxocariasis is severe. Puppies often experience vomiting, nervous disorders, diarrhea or constipation, and death is possible.

A significant role of such epizootological data as the young age of animals with toxocariasis. Nematodes can be detected macroscopically in vomit and feces. The veterinary laboratory tests samples of feces and kittens.

First aid

In order to alleviate the serious condition of a sick animal, laxatives (1-3 teaspoons of castor oil) are used at home or an enema is given using a small syringe, and a milk diet is prescribed. When caring, you should follow the rules of personal hygiene and prevention in order to avoid the disease “Larva migrans”.

Treatment and prevention are, in principle, no different from treatment for toxascariasis.

Many dog ​​breeders often encounter such an unpleasant disease in their pets as helminthiasis. This disease is provoked by all types of helminthic infestations that enter the animal’s body.

Both adults and small puppies are equally susceptible to infection with worms. And if, for a mature dog, as a rule, everything is limited to deworming, then for a puppy the consequences of the disease can be tragic. That is why It is very important to detect worms in time and carry out their destruction.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely rid your four-legged friend of them.. All sanitary and preventive measures are aimed only at maximizing the number of worms in the dog’s body. But such measures are simply necessary to maintain the dog’s normal health and development.

Are worms in dogs transmitted to humans?
Some types of worms can easily be transmitted from a sick animal to humans, especially children. Therefore, after each interaction with your pet, you should take hygienic measures. And deworm the animal itself at least twice a year.

There are several ways of infection with helminthiasis:

1. The first and most common is through external sources containing helminth eggs: feces, food, various objects, water from puddles and reservoirs, raw fish, etc. Mostly, infection occurs during the traditional daily walking of the dog. Therefore, it is very important at such moments to try to limit her contact with potentially dangerous things as much as possible.
2. The second method of infection is direct contact between a dog and a sick animal or through intermediate hosts, fleas and ticks.

Symptoms and signs of worms

Unfortunately, often helminths may not manifest themselves in any way for a long period or, on the contrary, masquerade as some diseases that have similar manifestations to helminthiasis. All this greatly aggravates the situation with the identification and treatment of the disease.

Due to this periodic counseling should be carried out and have your pet examined by a veterinarian.

However, in some cases it is possible to determine helminths yourself. To do this, you just need to carefully observe your own animal.

What should it be ? Every dog ​​owner should know this!

Be sure to enteritis- a disease that, if not treated promptly, leads to the death of the pet.

What can an owner who is worried about the condition of his pet do? suffering? Learn more about the treatment and prevention of diarrhea.

What are the types of helminths?

Each of these types of helminths causes a certain type of disease that can become chronic, completely depleting the body. In addition, nematodes and whipworms are easily transmitted to humans.

Intestinal

Intestinal worms are the most common. As a rule, they are represented by tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms and hookworms, which enter the dog’s body through external sources. Ascariasis (toxocariasis), uncinariasis, hookworm disease, toxascariasis, hookworm disease, echinococcosis - this is a small list of the ailments they cause.

It’s hard to even imagine the insidiousness of helminths. For example, there are types of worms that are capable of calmly migrating throughout the host’s body and settling in the most favorable places for their “reign.” Prominent representatives of this type of helminths are roundworms and esophageal worms. They are the ones who most readily settle in the dog’s food system and lungs.

In this case, the animal suddenly begins lose weight, develop a cough, difficulty breathing and develop pneumonia, causing internal bleeding.

Unfortunately, without laboratory tests and the help of a veterinarian, it is almost impossible to detect lungworms on your own.

Heartfelt

To others, no less serious illness, is dirofilariasis (cardionematodes) or heartworms, which settle in the arteries, atrium, right ventricle of the heart and cardiac vessels of the animal. The main carriers of heartworm larvae are mosquitoes, fleas and other types of blood-sucking insects. The incubation period of the disease can last up to six months after the bite.

The main clinical signs of dog body intoxication syndrome are expressed in shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pulmonary wheezing and noise, general exhaustion and apathy, nervous system disorders, drowsiness and fatigue.

Treatment should be carried out on time, taking into account the individual clinical condition of the dog, since cardionematodes often lead to sudden death animal due to heart failure.

Before deciding on the choice of anthelmintic drugs, the range of which is simply enormous today, you should first consult with a veterinarian and conduct an appropriate examination of the dog to identify them. After all, the choice of means largely depends on the age, physiological characteristics and habitat of the animal.

Deworming tablets

Unfortunately, there are no universal drugs that can completely remove all types of helminths with a single dose. Therefore, the best option would be medication wide range actions. These are, as a rule, produced in the form of tablets Drontal Plus, Azinox Plus, Vermox and Drontsit.

Deworming of the dog is carried out repeatedly at short intervals.

Modern drugs are capable of partially or completely breaking down helminths in the animal’s body itself, so it is not possible to see the result of anthelmintics. The main thing is to carefully monitor your pet during deworming and, if necessary, help him cleanse himself (enema, laxative, etc.).

It is preferable to give anthelmintic medicine to an animal in the morning during meals. For adult dogs, the tablet is wrapped in some kind of treat - meat, sausage - and fed, and if they refuse to take the medicine, they place it deep on the root of the animal's tongue, while squeezing the jaw with the palms and lifting it up. For puppies, the tablet is crushed to a powder, diluted with water and poured into the mouth with a syringe (without a needle).

If suddenly, immediately after taking the anthelmintic drug, the dog becomes ill, the first thing you should do is give the four-legged dog some kind of absorbent (enterosgel) and urgently consult a doctor. Further deworming is carried out under the strict supervision of a specialist.

Prevention

It is known that best treatment any disease is its prevention! Therefore, to prevent infestation optimal deworming adult dog once every three months. However, we should not forget that all anthelmintic drugs are, in fact, toxic poisons. Therefore, when deworming, you should always be extremely careful and careful.

Small puppies can be wormed as early as 12-14 days of life.. There are special “children’s” preparations for them, mainly in the form of suspensions, for example “Prasicide” or “Drontal plus for puppies”. Also mandatory after any deworming is vaccination of the animal, which consolidates the results of treatment.

As you can see, helminthiasis is a serious and dangerous disease. And in order to four-legged friend brought joy for as long as possible, it is necessary to show special care and attention to his health.

A dog becomes infected with worms by ingesting invasive eggs with food, water, eating sewage, etc. Intrauterine infection is also possible, when helminth larvae penetrate through the placenta (baby place) into the fetus. The source of infection can be relatives, lake and river fish, fleas, lice eaters, and people.

Dogs infected with worms may experience convulsions, itching in the anus, diarrhea, and constipation. Animals lose weight, despite adequate feeding, and their performance decreases. Roundworms can even cause intestinal obstruction, injure internal organs, and also release toxic substances (toxins), which often leads to the death of a puppy and a young dog. Puppies infected with worms are prone to infectious diseases.

Prevention and treatment. The main veterinary and sanitary measure for the prevention of helminths in dogs is proper hygienic feeding and maintenance. It should be noted that dogs that receive a daily complex of vitamins A, B, D, C with food become infected with helminths less often than animals that do not receive vitamins of this complex.

Immediately after purchasing a puppy, it is necessary to drive away worms from it, even if it looks helminthic infestation does not appear. Every puppy can have worms. In the first year of a puppy's life, worm prevention is done every two months. If worms are detected in feces, I recommend drugs such as Drantal+, Aziox+ for all types of worms. It is necessary to apply exactly following the instructions, always taking into account the weight of the puppy.

Contagious diseases. Plague

Canine distemper is an acute contagious disease. All dogs suffer from plague, regardless of their breed, age and gender.

The disease is characterized by fever, conjunctivitis, catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Characteristic rashes on the skin of a sick animal. The disease is accompanied by complications from the central nervous system, heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs. The causative agent of the disease Canine distemper is caused by a virus. The existence of viruses was first discovered in 1892 by Russian botanist D.I. Ivanovsky. The plague virus is resistant. It persists and does not lose its ability to infect when exposed to the cold in a dried state for up to nine months. At a temperature of 40-45°C, the virus dies within two weeks, and when exposed to a temperature of 100°C, it dies within one to two minutes. A 1-2% emulsion of Lysol and creolin, a 1% formaldehyde solution, and 10-20% bleach-lime milk have a detrimental effect on the plague virus.

Epizootology of the disease

Under natural conditions, minks, arctic foxes, sables, and foxes can suffer from the plague. Dogs of all ages are susceptible to plague, however, the disease most often occurs between the ages of three months and one year. Today, according to doctors, the incidence of plague has increased by 30%, mainly due to the incidence of puppies up to 1.5 months old. In order to strengthen the immunity of newborn puppies, I recommend vaccinating puppy bitches at the beginning of the second half of pregnancy and repeating two weeks later with the NOBI-VAC DHP+L vaccine without rabies. Using this method, all the bitches in the kennel have been vaccinated very successfully for more than 2 years now. None side effects not detected. Age-related resistance to plague in suckling puppies is explained by passive immunity acquired through mother's milk. Puppies born from mothers who have recovered from the plague are more resistant to the disease than those born from dogs that have not had the disease. This is explained by the presence of anti-plague antibodies in the body of mothers who have recovered from the disease, which are inherited by the born puppies. The greatest susceptibility to plague infection is observed after weaning a puppy from its mother and transferring it to new conditions of keeping and feeding. Any violation of the maintenance and feeding of the puppy leads to a weakening of the animal’s body, which naturally affects its resistance infectious diseases. Eating disorders most often occur when a puppy changes teeth. Usually this physiological process goes unnoticed, but sometimes painful phenomena occur in the gums, which negatively affects the puppy’s appetite.

How does a dog become infected?

There is an opinion that the development of the disease is influenced by meteorological factors that cause hypothermia of the body. In fact, a cold only contributes to airborne infection and a more severe course of the disease. Plague does not arise from hypothermia, but from the contact of healthy, but not sufficiently immune dogs against plague, with the causative agent of this formidable infection. Symptoms and course of the disease From the moment of infection to the first manifestations of the dog’s disease, it takes from 2-4 days to 2-3 weeks. This period is called latent, or incubation. The dog seems practically healthy, but upon careful observation one may notice lethargy and loss of appetite. The course of the disease can be hyperacute, acute, subacute and abortive. The hyperacute course is manifested by a sudden onset of fever in the dog. The animal is depressed, refuses food, hides in dark corners, under furniture. The eyes fester. Limb spasms are noted. Death usually occurs on the second or third day of illness.

Acute and subacute course is characterized by a wide variety of clinical signs, depending on the state of the dog’s body’s resistance. The abortive course of the disease is more typical for adult animals. It occurs in dogs that have previously received an anti-plague vaccine, but have not developed intense immunity for any reason, and in dogs with immunity that has died down to some extent. In such animals there is a slight rise in temperature to 39.7-40°C; pronounced lethargy; lack of interest in play and treats; decreased appetite. The dog does not respond well to calls. However, upon examination, only inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract is revealed. This condition lasts two to three days, then recovery occurs, which is explained by the rapid mobilization of the body’s defenses to produce anti-plague antibodies. Plague is also divided into typical, pure, or natural, and complicated, or mixed.

When a dog contracts the plague, it becomes lethargic, gets tired easily, the coat becomes dull, loses its shine, and is disheveled. The animal refuses food and takes treats reluctantly. The temperature in the rectum is 39.8-40 "C. There is redness of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, eyes, nose. In this case, there is an outflow of serous-purulent secretion. There may be diarrhea, sometimes vomiting. This condition can last for several days, then it occurs improvement, and the animal recovers. However, very often the imaginary recovery is followed by a repeated rise in temperature with the full manifestation of the clinical picture of plague.

Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the animal’s malaise and measure the temperature daily even after recovery. During the period of return of the disease, all the initial manifestations of the disease in the dog are sharply expressed. The temperature persistently stays at high numbers of 40-41 "C. The dog is sharply depressed, there is a complete lack of appetite, a mucopurulent secretion is released from the eyes, which dries up and forms crusty lumps. The sick dog huddles in dark places, as it experiences photophobia. The conjunctiva becomes inflamed , at the same time the cornea of ​​the eye can become inflamed, which often leads to clouding and ulceration. The disease leads to damage to the vital organs of the animal. Thus, the respiratory system is often affected by the plague. First of all, the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed. serous-purulent secretion is released from the nostrils, it dries up, crusts form in the nasal passages and on the wings of the nose. The animal sneezes, scratches its nose with its paws, rubs its muzzle against objects, trying to somehow free the nasal passages from the accumulated secretion. The dog’s breathing becomes difficult. more intense with a characteristic sound for a “stuffy nose.” To facilitate breathing, the dog breathes through its mouth, while its cheeks puff out.

The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the pharynx and tonsils. If treatment measures are not taken in a timely manner, the larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs are involved in the process. The barking becomes hoarse and a cough appears. Rapid breathing: up to 60-80 times instead of 14-24 per minute. Plague can also affect gastrointestinal tract, the mucous membrane of the mouth turns red and swells. There is no appetite, the animal eats food poorly. Vomiting and increased thirst occur. Constipation gives way to diarrhea. During diarrhea, the stool contains a lot of mucus and an admixture of blood. Characterized by unpleasant putrid smell both from the animal’s mouth and feces. The stomach of a sick dog is tense; when it is felt, there is a sharp pain - the dog even groans at the same time. Very often, rashes of small blisters filled with a yellowish-greenish secretion appear on thin skin (the abdomen, inner thighs, near the mouth, eyes). The bubbles burst, the wet areas gradually dry out, and traces in the form of light spots remain on the skin. Hairline does not hold well - hair falls out in large quantities. There is a huge amount of dandruff accumulation. The animal's skin acquires a specific smell. At the same time, dryness of the nasal mucosa occurs. The crumbs of the fingers thicken and crack. In severe cases of the disease, swelling of the abdomen, limbs, and dewlap is noticeable. This is due to impaired cardiovascular activity, pulmonary failure and damage to liver and kidney function.

One of the most serious and dangerous complications are disorders of the central nervous system of a sick dog. In the occurrence of these lesions highest value has a toxic effect of the plague virus on the nervous system. In addition, the decay products of the tissue cells of the affected organism and the waste products of bacteria that multiply intensively in the diseased body have a toxic effect. Disorders of the vessels that supply the nervous system occur. Wherein nerve cells and fibers of the head and spinal cord exposed to direct exposure to toxic substances. There is reason to believe that the plague virus, after entering the dog’s general circulation, penetrates the spinal cord and brain, where it multiplies, accumulates and causes severe damage to the nervous system. When the central nervous system is damaged in dogs, the thermoregulation center is very often affected, which is usually expressed by a high body temperature that does not decrease. All complications of the central nervous system of a dog with distemper can occur at the beginning of the disease, at the height of the disease, at the end of the disease and during the recovery stage. IN in general terms we can say that with canine distemper all complications of the nervous system are early and late. They can be expressed in the form of damage to the brain (meningitis, encephalitis, meningo-encephalitis) and peripheral nerves (neuritis, polyneuritis).

Lesions of the brain and spinal cord due to distemper are observed more often in young dogs. Such animals become lethargic, begin to moan, limbs weaken, and the temperature rises. The dog's consciousness changes. She reacts sluggishly to calls, treats, toys, and does not recognize the owner or family members. Possible damage to the oculomotor nerves, which is expressed in "winding up" eyeballs so that only the whites of the eyes are visible. The optic nerves are also affected, leading to blindness. The disease may be limited to paresis and paralysis of the limbs. Muscle atrophy is noted. She becomes sluggish, her limbs become thinner. In most cases, dogs with encephalomyelitis have lesions of the sphincters, which is accompanied by retention or, less commonly, incontinence of urine and feces. Very often, epileptic seizures also occur with encephalomyelitis. They are possible both in the acute period of illness in dogs and some time after the disease, accompanied by loss of consciousness of the animal, falling, convulsions, biting the tongue, foaming from the mouth (mouth), involuntary defecation and urination. Seizures occur both during the day and at night and can last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Moreover, some dogs are depressed after seizures, lie motionless and indifferent, while others try to run somewhere, bump into objects, fall, look for food and eat it greedily. Recovery in such cases is extremely rare, and the duration of the illness does not exceed 10-15 days.

In addition to the central nervous system, the plague also affects the peripheral nervous system. Often there are lumbosacral radiculitis, neuritis or neuralgia, polyneuritis. As a rule, the disease begins with radicular pain, gradually spreading along the nerve trunk. Lesions of the peripheral nervous system may be accompanied by twitching of individual muscle groups of the head, limbs, and torso. These twitches are called "plague tics." Tic can be debilitating, i.e. reach 50-60 twitches per minute. Diagnosis of plague consists of finding out the well-being of the area, microdistrict for this disease, studying the clinical signs of the disease and the data of the postmortem autopsy.

Virus-specific diagnostics is more reliable and modern. But, basically, veterinarians make a diagnosis of plague based on the clinical signs of the dog’s illness. An elevated dog's body temperature for several days with inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, discharge of purulent secretions, the appearance of a characteristic rash on the skin, diarrhea - all this indicates the possibility of the animal contracting plague. However, it is easy to confuse with the plague such diseases as respiratory diseases of a cold nature, infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, piroplasmosis, rheumatism, helminthic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders from an incorrectly formulated diet, food poisoning, as well as poisoning from agricultural pesticides. Therefore, only a veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis.

The duration of the disease and its outcome depend on the form of the disease, timely proper treatment, as well as on the resistance of the dog’s body. Treatment of a sick dog Canine distemper is an insidious disease. Although it occurs easily at first, it is dangerous due to severe complications. Therefore, timely and qualified veterinary care. Prevention of plague Every dog ​​owner should know that a sick animal becomes a source of infection, so a sick dog should be isolated and walked only on a leash and only in places that are rarely visited by healthy dogs.

During an outbreak of plague, the owners of one house or an entire neighborhood are required to jointly decide where to walk dogs sick with this disease. The regional veterinary service authorities must disinfect these areas. When treating a dog with plague at home, it is necessary to follow all the rules of hygiene, preventing its contact with healthy relatives. The room where the sick dog is located should be ventilated: in the cold season - two or three times a day for 10-15 minutes, and in the summer, if there are no drafts, keep the windows open. It is also necessary to ventilate the room during cleaning, since viruses and microbes rise into the air along with dust particles. It is recommended to do cleaning using the wet method using disinfectant solutions of chloramine, carbolic acid, creolin, Lysol, bleach, and sodium hydroxide. If the outcome of the disease is unfavorable, it is necessary to completely disinfect the apartment, and care items and equipment - leashes, harnesses, collars, muzzles, brushes - are burned.

Rabies

Rabies, like the plague, is also an infectious disease. It is widespread. It can affect all warm-blooded animals and humans. The latent period of the disease is usually 3-6 weeks, but in puppies it may not exceed 5-7 days. Sometimes the latent period is quite long and reaches one year in some adult dogs. The violent form of the disease in dogs is characterized by the following signs: the animal becomes lethargic, moves away from people, hides in dark places, reluctantly follows given commands, appetite is reduced. But sometimes a sick dog can be very intrusive, extremely affectionate, licking the owner’s hands and face. This state is replaced by anxiety, fearfulness and increased irritability. The dog begins to look around, listen, and bark for no reason. Appetite is perverted. Food is eaten reluctantly, and inedible objects, such as stones, straw, rags and others, are swallowed with great greed. A sick animal scratches or chews the bite site through which the virus entered the body. Then the dog has trouble swallowing. The dog gags, saliva is released in large quantities, the barking becomes hoarse, turning into a howl. Excitement is complemented by aggressiveness and rage. The dog attacks people and animals. Bouts of violence give way to oppression. The animal, exhausted, lies motionless, but the slightest irritation causes a new attack of violence and aggressiveness.

Gradually, the dog’s voice disappears, the animal looks exhausted, lower jaw droops due to muscle paralysis, the tongue falls out, saliva flows profusely, strabismus and clouding of the cornea are noted. The hind limbs are paralyzed, the dog moves only on its front legs, and its hindquarters drag. Gradually, paralysis covers the muscles of the forelimbs and torso. Then the activity of the respiratory apparatus and heart is paralyzed, which leads to the dog’s death. The disease lasts 3-11 days. The silent form of the disease in dogs has recently become more common. In this case, there is no excitation or it is weakly expressed. But at the beginning of the disease, dogs can also bite both people and animals. Death with this form of rabies occurs within 2-4 days.

The atypical form of the disease occurs with characteristic signs of gastritis and enteritis. Vomit, bloody diarrhea, which depletes the dog, hides the developing dangerous disease. Necessary assistance: at the slightest suspicion of rabies, the animal is placed on a strong leash and isolated. The owner of the animal immediately notifies the nearest veterinary center of his suspicion, and if the suspicion is confirmed, he immediately contacts the Pasteur medical center. Prevention of the disease consists of annual vaccination of dogs. Diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases such as plague, enteritis, hepatitis, etc. can only be performed by a veterinarian. Therefore, if signs of illness appear (lethargy, loss of appetite or refusal to feed, change in stool, vomiting, change in temperature), the owner should immediately contact a specialist without wasting precious time and not self-medicate. To avoid the appearance of infectious diseases, vaccination is carried out starting from the age of 1.5-2 months, according to the scheme recommended by the breeder or veterinarian.

Caring for a sick dog. General care.

Animal care has a great influence on the outcome of the disease. The place for the dog should be chosen without drafts, away from the TV and other radio equipment. It is not recommended to keep a sick dog in the kitchen, since fumes from cooking, leakage of incomplete gas combustion products - all this negatively affects the treatment process. The room where the sick dog is kept must be ventilated, and it should be wet cleaned daily using a 2% chloramine solution. The dog owner must remember that the cleanliness of the premises is one of the important factors in the animal’s recovery. Particular care should be taken when sphincter activity is impaired. In such cases, the anal and genital areas must be treated with a solution of rivanol or potassium permanganate at a dilution of 1:1000.

In case of urinary retention, catheterization should be carried out once a day with a boiled catheter, pre-treated with sterile vaseline oil. After urine removal bladder it is necessary to irrigate with an antibiotic. To prevent bedsores from appearing, as well as to prevent them, protruding parts of the dog’s body should be wiped with alcohol (you can use vodka) or a 50% solution of potassium permanganate. The dog's bedding is cleared of toys, bones, and any leftover food.

Vitamins against diseases

There is no area in practical veterinary medicine where vitamins are not used. However, one should not think that vitamins are the only remedy for treating a particular disease. Vitamins are an integral part of a complex of medical procedures prescribed to sick animals. Vitamins largely determine the overall reactivity and resistance of the body and form a response to an emerging infection. The degree of saturation of the dog’s body with individual vitamins depends on initial period and the course of the disease, which undoubtedly affects its outcome. Infectious diseases that occur in a dog with vitamin deficiency occur in conditions of reduced body resistance and, therefore, are more severe. An important role in the treatment of dogs with various diseases vitamin C plays

There is a certain connection between the degree of saturation of an animal’s body with vitamin C and the response to the causative agent of an infectious disease. An insufficient amount of this vitamin leads to a decrease in the body’s defense response and a decrease in both the natural and acquired immunity of the animal to infectious diseases, including plague and hepatitis. Vitamin C, as already mentioned, is called the anti-infective vitamin. It neutralizes toxic waste products of various microorganisms, has a positive effect on the body of a sick dog, increasing resistance by stimulating the production of antibodies and the phagocytosis reaction. Therefore, the need for vitamin C in a sick animal increases sharply. Vitamins that affect the infectious process currently include vitamin A. By regulating the normal functioning of the epithelium of the skin and mucous membranes, it prevents pathogens from entering the dog’s body.

Vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP are also of considerable importance in the treatment of infectious diseases. Their introduction into the body of a sick dog enhances the antibacterial effect of sulfonamide drugs and antibiotics. For non-contagious skin diseases in dogs resulting from a lack of vitamins, vitamins B6, A, B3 should be used. Pantothenic acid regulates the activity sebaceous glands, stimulates hair growth.

Vitamins A, C, B12, B2 have a positive effect when there is an abundance of dandruff in animals. It has been noted that vitamins A, C, E and others also affect the metabolism of sulfur in the skin of animals. Sera takes an active part in biological processes, which cause hair growth. Vitamins are also active assistants in the treatment of eczema, neurodermatitis and various pustular diseases in dogs. Vitamins are widely used in the treatment of eye diseases. It has been noted that vision is negatively affected by a lack of vitamins A, B1, B2, and C in the body. Great attention should be paid to the use of vitamins in the treatment of various injuries. Domestic researchers have proven that any injury, wound process, surgical intervention increase the animal’s body’s need for vitamins, especially vitamin C. It can be successfully used as a local remedy in the treatment of wound surfaces in dogs oil solution vitamin A, which has an analgesic effect, stimulates the growth of epithelial tissue and creates a protective film over the wound surface. Vitamin K is used to stop bleeding and stimulate wound healing. If a dog has fresh, shallow wounds with bleeding granulations, then irrigating them with a 1% solution of vitamin K gives good effect. The wounds heal quickly and a durable scar is formed.

Currently, data have been obtained on the positive effect of vitamins B12 in the treatment of injuries accompanied by bone fractures. Vitamin B12 promotes recovery functional state injured nerves, bone tissue and healing of wound surfaces of the skin and muscles, accelerates the formation of new blood vessels and young muscle cells after injury to the dog's skeletal muscles. Vitamins A and D also have a positive effect on the formation of callus in the event of a bone fracture. It has been clinically proven that in dogs with vitamin C deficiency, fractures did not heal, and healing ended with the formation of a false joint. With D-vitaminosis, the formation of bone callus was slow, with B-beri, polyneuritis was associated, and bone fusion was slow. However, vitamins are not harmless; when the body is oversaturated, like all biologically active substances, they can have harmful effects. Poisoning of dogs with large amounts of vitamins is called hypervitaminosis.

Hypervitaminosis can be acute, when the owner feeds the dog a large portion of vitamins at once, and chronic, when the dog receives increased doses of vitamins for a long time. For example, in an effort to prevent rickets in puppies, owners generously treat them with vitamin D. As a result of exceeding the dose of vitamin, irreversible processes occur in animals’ tissues and organs, the calcium content in the blood increases, which leads to the deposition of mineral salts in the tissues of the heart, lungs, and kidneys. , in the wall of the stomach. The animal's nervous system also suffers. The puppies become lethargic, lie around a lot, don’t play, and don’t eat food well. Vomiting and diarrhea are often observed, the temperature often rises, the skin becomes dry, and peeling is possible. In white dogs, the skin turns yellow-gray.

When there is an excess of vitamin A in a dog’s body, so-called A-hypervitaminosis occurs. Experiments have shown that administering large doses of vitamin A to animals of various breeds has a toxic effect: dogs develop emaciation, dry corneas, loss of appetite, a rash appears on the skin, which is often mistaken for the onset of plague, cracks appear on the mucous membranes, and fur becomes less dense. Hypervitaminosis causes vitamin C deficiency in the dog's body, which is expressed in redness of the gums near the teeth and their inflammation. When feeding large doses of B vitamins to dogs of any breed, the animals experience various allergic reactions.

Recently, pharmacologists do not recommend that practical veterinary specialists administer solutions of vitamins B12, B1, B6 in one syringe. As it turned out, the cobalt ion contained in the cyanocoblamine molecule contributes to the destruction of two other vitamins. There is also evidence that feeding pregnant bitches large doses of vitamin C leads to toxicosis, which has a negative effect on the offspring.

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 become chronic, 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 dog's body, 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 also form in the 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, the connection 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 the warm season, 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 located 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 exposure to direct sunlight also leads to the 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, using their capsule, attach to the intestinal mucosa, causing 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 cases of severe disease, the dog begins to have bloody diarrhea a few days before death. 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 in the 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 release mature cestode segments into the external environment along with feces, contaminating grass, soil, feed, ponds 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, infecting 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 and licks places that cause itching. The eggs remain on the face, and additional seeding of the fur occurs.

For further development, the eggs must reach intermediate hosts - sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and 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 freed from their membranes, penetrate the intestinal wall, penetrate the blood or lymphatic vessels and are carried into the different organs. First of all, they enter the liver vessels, 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, it reaches its maximum size after two to three decades.

The life cycle of 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. By day 35, 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 by 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 through the bile duct penetrate into the bile ducts of the liver, as well as into the gallbladder and 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. Opisthorchises in the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts 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, the bile ducts look like heavily swollen cords or cyst-like expansions form in them, and we note degeneration of the liver and pancreas tissue.

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 into the dog’s gastrointestinal tract, 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. Upon clinical examination of such a dog, the general condition is depressed, breathing is heavy, wheezing on auscultation of the lungs, and 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 incorrectly 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 for keeping animals are not observed 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 of 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.

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, attention is paid 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, and contain several active components that have an effect on a number of helminths.

In practice, there are cases when a dog can be affected by several invasive diseases, so it would be advisable to use a complex anthelmintic drug that has an effect on all types of helminths 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.

If a dog constantly itches or even tries to bite something out of its fur, then it clearly has fleas - one of the dog’s main enemies.

Fleas are quite difficult to remove. The reason is that just one individual can lay about 20-30 thousand eggs in a month. Fortunately, there are many ways to rid your dog of fleas.

The first signs of fleas should be looked for not even on the dog, but right under your feet. All you have to do is walk on the carpet at home in white socks, and then look at the soles. If there are small black “pellets” on it that turn the water brown or red, then your dog needs help. These lumps are flea waste mixed with blood.

Fleas are destroyed using medications.

Ticks

There are three known types of ticks that are dangerous to dogs: ixodid ticks (also known as pasture ticks), scabies ticks and ear ticks.

The first ones bite into the skin and drink the dog's blood. This would not be too dangerous if ixodid ticks were not carriers of a large number of diseases, some of which affect humans too. Therefore, no symptoms may appear immediately after the bite. You just need to carefully examine both yourself and your dog after a walk for ticks.

The latter also bite into the skin, but do not drink blood, but lay eggs, causing severe itching and irritation. They can be transmitted to people too.

Still others settle in the ears for a long time, causing itching and irritation. This variety is one of the most persistent, but products such as special drops and ointments get rid of these mites.

Lice and lice eaters

Lice eaters feed on the fluff and scales of a dog's skin, while lice feed on lymph and blood. The females of both species lay their eggs directly on the dog's fur.

Infection can occur either through contact with a sick animal or while walking. Sometimes lice and lice eggs can be brought home by the dog's owner.

Curing your dog of lice and lice is quite simple. After treatment with a special compound or shampoo, you need to let the animal dry, and then comb the dog with a metal comb. This will remove any paralyzed or dead insects. The carpet, bedding and other things that the infected animal has come into contact with must be thoroughly cleaned or washed.

Roundworms

A characteristic sign of roundworm infection is stool upset, vomiting, and refusal to feed. In some cases, even intestinal blockage occurs.

Heartworms

Symptoms of the presence of heartworms are cough, swelling of the paws, shortness of breath, wheezing, sleep and appetite disturbances, and severe general exhaustion.

A dog can become infected by the bite of an ordinary mosquito.

Symptoms of infection include increased heart rate and breathing, shortness of breath, fever up to 40-41 degrees, complete refusal to eat, depression, redness of the eyes and oral cavity, vomiting, upset stool (sometimes even with blood), dark urine. Cases of sudden death are rare.