Parasites on dogs include internal parasites and extracorporeal parasites, generally in vivo parasites are tapeworms, roundworms, coccidioides, trichomoniasis, hookworms, toxoplasms, etc., while ectoparasites include ear mites, ticks, fleas, lice, scabies mites and the like. Whether it is an in vivo or in vitro parasite, if the dog is infected, it will have a certain impact on the health of the dog, so it is recommended that the owner should regularly deworm the dog.
Previously, we have introduced in detail several common ectoparasites in dogs, and today we will talk about one of the most common internal parasites - tapeworms.
Tapeworm belongs to the invertebrates of the flattened animal Phylum Tapeworm class, often parasitic in humans and some animals such as livestock, cats, fish, causing a zoonotic disease called taeniasis, collectively known as tapeworm disease, generally after people eat meat products containing cysticercosis, mainly manifested as digestive tract dysfunction, high incidence areas are northeast, northwest, north China, Yunnan, Guizhou and other regions. However, today we are mainly talking about tapeworms in dogs, leaving aside other animals. There are many species of tapeworms that live in the small intestine of dogs, not only the adult stage is very harmful to the health of dogs, but most of the larval stages use other domestic animals (or people) as intermediate hosts, which seriously endangers livestock and human health.
Pathogens of tapeworms and their life history:
1, canine tapeworm (also known as canine polypodium tapeworm, melon tapeworm): canine tapeworm body is reddish, the length can even reach 10 to 15 cm, mature body segment length of 7 mm, width 2 to 3 mm, oblong oval, appearance like cucumber seeds. Each mature segment contains two sets of male and female reproductive organs, with the reproductive foramen opening in the central part on either side of the body segment. Fleas and canine hair lice are intermediate hosts of canine tapeworms and develop into cysticercosis in their bodies. The end host is infected by swallowing fleas or lice containing cystic tails and develops into adults in the small intestine over about 3 weeks.
2. Tapeworm in the line (also known as tapeworm midline): the body length of the insect is 30 to 250 cm, and the widest point is 3 mm. Mature segments are nearly square, each segment has a set of reproductive organs, and the uterus is located in the center of the segment and is longitudinal sac-shaped, so there is a longitudinal line running through the central part of the chain of this species of tapeworm. Midline tapeworms are known to require two intermediate hosts, the first intermediate host being fecal-eating ground mites, forming cysticercosis in its body. The second intermediate host is snakes, frogs, birds and rodents, forming tetragonal certils in their bodies, mostly found in the abdominal cavity of the second intermediate host or in organs such as liver and lungs. After being swallowed by the final host, the tetrapodium becomes an adult after 16 to 20 days.
3. Vesicular tapeworm (also known as marginal tapeworm): the body length of the insect is 75 to 500 cm, the anterior segment is wide and short, the posterior segment is gradually lengthened, and the mature segment length and width is 10 to 14 mm X 4 to 5 mm. The uterus has 5 to 10 pairs of large lateral branches and then branches, each segment has a set of reproductive organs, and the reproductive foramen open irregularly on one side of the segment. The intermediate host is cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock, the larva is a thin-necked cysticercosis, parasitizing in the liver, canine retina and mesenteric membrane of the middle host, etc., the dog swallows the internal organs containing the thin-necked cysticercosis and is infected, and develops into an adult in the small intestine from 36 to 73.
4. Ternium caricae (also known as tapeworm serrated tapeworm), the body length of the worm is 60 to 200 cm, the reproductive foramen is irregularly opened on the side of the segment, slightly protruding, so that the lateral edge of the worm body is serrated, and the length and width of the mature body segments are 10 to 15 mm X4 to 7 mm: the uterus has 8 to 14 pairs of lateral branches. The intermediate hosts are domestic rabbits and hares, and the larvae are bean-shaped cysticercosis, which parasitizes the liver, omentum, and mesentery of rabbits. Dogs swallow the offal of bean-like cysticercosis and develop into adults over 35 to 46 days.
5. Polycephalic tapeworm (also known as polycephalic tapeworm), the body length is 40 to 100 cm, the widest point is 5 mm, and the uterus has 9 to 26 pairs of side branches. The intermediate hosts are cattle and sheep, and the larvae are polycephalics (cerebral co-tailed larvae), which parasitize the intermediate host's brain and are sometimes found in the bulbar or spinal cord. Dogs become infected by swallowing brains containing polycephaly, and develop into adult worms over about 41 to 73 days.
6. Fine-grained Echinoccus tapeworm: the insect body is composed of 1 head segment and 3 to 4 segments, and the total length does not exceed 7 mm. There is a set of reproductive organs in the mature segment, the length of the gestational node is more than half the length of the insect body, the uterus is sac-shaped, there are no side branches, only some protrusions. The larvae of Echinococcus fine-grained echinococcus are echinococcus, which parasitize the liver, lungs and other organs of many animals and humans, and dogs are infected by eating echinococcal organs.
7, Taenia mansonii (Taenia schizophalum): about 100 cm long and 2 to 2.5 cm wide, in this number, it is difficult to appear on dogs. The head segment is finger-shaped, and there is a longitudinal suction groove in each dorsal abdomen. The cervical segment is slender. Segments are generally wider than long. The gestational ovulence is almost equal in length and width. There is a set of reproductive organs in the mature segment, a round male reproductive foramen in the center of the anterior part of the segment, the uterus is spirally coiled, located in the middle of the segment, and the uterine terminal opening and vaginal opening are located below the male reproductive foramen respectively. The body is yellowish-gray, and the center of the body segment is gray-black dot-like connection between the uterus and the eggs. Taenia mansonii requires two intermediate hosts: the first intermediate host is a freshwater copepod (e.g., sword water fleas), in which it develops into protocopods. The second intermediate host is frogs and snakes (fish, birds and even dogs can act as transport hosts) in which they develop into schizocephalic larvae. Cats and dogs are terminal hosts, and Schizocephalic larvae develop into adults in their small intestines.
The diagnostic points of tapeworms are usually unnoticed except for the occasional discharge of mature segments. Severe infection presents with anorexia (bulimia, heterophilia), vomiting, chronic enteritis, alternating diarrhea and constipation, anemia, wasting, easily agitated or depressed, and some spasms or paralysis of the limbs. When the body is clumped, tapeworms can block the intestinal tract, resulting in acute abdomen such as intestinal obstruction, intussusception, volvulus, and intestinal rupture.
Therapeutic deworming of tapeworms: hydrobromobenzanin in doses of 1.5 to 2 mg/kg body weight, taken orally. Dosing after a hunger strike for 12 to 20 hours. To prevent vomiting, dilute iodine tincture solution (10 ml of water, two drops of iodine tincture) should be administered 15 to 20 minutes before taking the drug. Or with praziquantel, in an amount of 5 to 10 mg/kg body weight, 1 time, orally. Or with busnezine hydrochloride in an amount of 25 to 50 mg/kg body weight, taken orally once, 50 mg for the removal of fine-grained echinaceae, and then used once at 48 hours intervals.
Preventive deworming is certainly much better than re-treating the disease, tapeworm prevention should be carried out 4 times a year (once a quarter), and breeding dogs should be carried out within 3 to 4 weeks before breeding. Dogs should be isolated within a certain range during deworming in order to collect excreted insect bodies and feces and completely destroy them to prevent the spread of pathogens.
Of course, everything needs to be cleaned and hygienically by dog owners and eliminating the source of infection. Properly dispose of slaughter waste to prevent dogs from feeding on intermediate hosts with tapeworms or their undercooked organs. Keep the kennel and dog body clean, often use insecticides to kill fleas and lice on the dog's body, and eliminate rodents. All kinds of infection sources that need to be careful should be paid attention to in order to ensure the health of the dog as much as possible.