VTNE Small Animal Ectoparasites & Intestinal Parasites PDF

What are the two flea species?

Ctenocephalides felis or canis and Xenopsylla cheopis

Which flea species can serve as intermediate hosts for Dipylidium caninum aka tapeworms?

Ctenocephalides felis or canis

Which flea species is the primary vector for the plague (Yersinia pestis)?

Xenopsylla cheopis

What are the main ticks which transmit rickettsial diseases?

Ixodes, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus

Which tick is known as the deer tick and transmits Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)?

Ixodes

Which tick is known as the American dog tick and is the primary vector for transmitting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia rickettsii)?

Dermacentor

Which tick is known as the brown dog tick and transmits Ehrlichia spp?

Rhipicephalus

What is the disease caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis which is most commonly transmitted through ticks but can also be transmitted through horseflies and mosquitoes?

Tularemia aka rabbit fever

Which tick is most commonly seen in livestock but may also infest dogs and other small warm-blooded mammals; body covered in spines; sucks blood from inside the ears?

Otobius megnini aka ear tick

____ are arachnids, meaning they are 8-legged

mites

What are the most common mites seen?

Demodex, Scabies, Cheyletiella, and the ear mite

Which mite is cigar shaped, treated with oral ivermectin or Lyme Sulfur dip, seen mostly in young animals or animals that are immunocompromised, and not contagious?

Demodex aka Demodex canis

Which mite can be zoonotic, is very pruritic, is a superficial dweller, Sarcoptes scabiei is the canine version, Notoedres cati is the feline version, and can be treated with Revolution, Lime Sulfur dips, milbemycin, and ivermectin?

Scabies

Which mite is a superficial mite, very pruritic, and known as walking dandruff?

Cheyletiella

Which mite strictly affects the ear, is very pruritic, is described as dark coffee grounds, observed microscopically on a mineral oil swab, treated most often with topical ivermectin, and is called Otodectes cynotis?

Ear mites

What is the term known as the infestation of lice?

Pediculosis

What are the canine lice/louse and are they sucking or chewing?

Trichodectes canis (chewing) and Linognathus setosus (sucking)

What is the feline lice/louse and is it sucking or chewing?

Felicola subrostratus (chewing)

What is the lice/louse which is seen in cattle?

Haematopinus (sucking)

Which intestinal parasite is diagnosed via fecal flotation with zinc centrifugation

Nematodes

What are the intestinal parasites within the Nematode category?

Roundworms, Hookworms, and Whipworms

Which nematode lives in the small intestine, causes the zoonotic disease ocular larva migrans, is typically transmitted fecal-oral, can be treated with piperazine, pyrantel, or fenbendazole, and the most commonly seen one is Toxocara canis?

Roundworms

Which nematode causes the zoonotic disease cutaneous larva migrans, which occurs via skin penetration (often seen in barefoot children);the larvae migrate through the skin to the lung, where they molt and are swallowed and passed into the small intestine?

Hookworms

Which nematode can cause hemorrhagic diarrhea and severe anemia (especially in young puppies), is transmitted fecal-oral, transmammary, or via percutaneous infections, is treated with fenbendazole or pyrantel?

Hookworms

What are most common species for Hookworms?

Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala

Which nematode lives in the large instine, can cause severe infections which may lead to hyperkalemia and hyponatremia (pseudo-Addison's), is transmitted fecal-orally, eggs have bipolar plugs on the ends, is treated with fenbendazole, and may be prevented with milbemycin (Interceptor)?

Whipworms

What is the most common Whipworm species?

Trichuris vulpis

Which intestinal parasite is a Cestode?

Tapeworms

What is the canine and feline tapeworm?

Dipylidium caninum

What is the tapeworm transmitted via ingestion of infective hydatid cysts during predation of rabbits, rodents, birds, etc?

Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia spp.

What are tapeworm segments called and resemble?

proglottids and a grain of rice

What is the treatment of choice for tapeworms?

Praziquantel (Drontal and Profender both contain this medication)

Which intestinal parasites are Trematodes?

Flukes and Giardia

Flukes can only be transmitted if a ___ is the intermediate host.

snail

Which species do flukes most commonly affect?

Cattle or sheep that have been grazing in endemic areas

What is the most common fluke and where can it be found when at an adult life stage?

Fasciola hepatica aka the common liver fluke and the adults can be found in the hepatic bile ducts

How do you treat Flukes?

with albendazole

How can you find Giardia?

Via a direct smear of a fresh fecal sample where the trophozoites may be seen

Which Trematode is transmitted fecal-orally through contaminated water sources, often causes a watery diarrhea, has a life cycle of flagellated protozoan (trophozoites) and infective resistant cysts, is potentially zoonotic, and treated most often with fenbendazole (Panacur) or metronidazole (Flagyl)

Giardia

Which fecal test is most accurate? Direct smear, a fecal flotation, or Giardia ELISA?

Giardia ELISA, it is the most sensitive test

What are the most commonly seen Coccidia species?

Isospora and Eimeria

Which Coccidia affects canines and felines?

Isospora

Which Coccidia affects birds and rabbits?

Eimeria

Can canines and felines be infected by Eimeria?

No

Can humans be infected by Eimeria?

Yes

Can humans be infected by Isospora?

No

How do you treat Coccidia?

with sulfadimethoxine (Albon)

How can you see Coccidia?

Via a a fecal float or sometimes a direct smear

What does Eimeria stiedai cause in rabbits?

hepatic coccidiosis