Veterinary Medicine - May 2008 - (Page v4) Q& A Tapeworms: What you need to know Common Diagnosing tapeworm infection Tapeworm infection is diagnosed by identifying proglottids in fecal material or recognizing eggs on fecal flotation. However, because proglottids are not uniformly distributed in fecal material, fecal flotation alone is not a reliable means of diagnosing infection in dogs and cats. Bowman: As long as the treatment is part of another protocol, such as heartworm prevention or internal parasite control, I think most practitioners and owners would accept it. It would be different if the product were just targeting tapeworms. Cooper: Sometimes clients just don’t want to see them or admit that their pet has a flea problem. Blagburn: Clients often tell me they don’t see fleas, but I can drag a comb through the hair coat and point out the flea dirt. Q: Clients are used to monthly heartworm preventives with other products added. But what do you tell clients who are resistant to administering additional frequent-use medications? Kazacos: Some veterinarians think that if dogs are on a monthly heartworm combination product, all parasites are taken care of. I have seen some veterinarians stop doing routine fecal diagnostics for that very reason. Nothing could be further from the truth. Heartworm combination products, as good as they are, actually have a fairly narrow treatment spectrum. We have to consider that animals on these products may become infected with a variety of other parasites, including tapeworms. Blagburn: I would tell clients that tapeworm control is additional insurance when we know that fleacontrol products, while very good, are not 100% effective all of the time. Just a few fleas can propagate a tapeworm infection. Kazacos: We could add that the pet is not the only source of fleas. It is well-known that suburban wildlife, like raccoons and opossums, also carry fleas that infest dogs and cats. At night, suburban wildlife seed people’s yards with flea eggs and, thus, help maintain the flea life cycle. So animals can become infected from other sources even though they are on appropriate flea control. Q: Would it be hard to convince clients to use a broad-spectrum agent that included praziquantel in Dipylidium- and Taeniaendemic areas if cost wasn’t prohibitive? Cooper: I think clients would accept it if they and their veterinarian were convinced it was an effective and safe product. control, so these veterinarians assume reinfection will occur before the flea problem is resolved. Blagburn: In east central Alabama, the only way we can manage chronic Dipylidium infection is by administering praziquantel every three to four weeks. There are times of year when administering it four or five months in a row is the only way we can bring the infection under control. Q: How important is it to mention the zoonotic potential of tapeworms, especially Dipylidium? Cooper: It is very important. I don’t think most owners understand or recognize the zoonotic potential, so making them aware of it certainly helps us convey the importance of parasite control. Q: Should a product like praziquantel be administered monthly as part of a broad-spectrum, continuous control program? Cooper: In regions of the country where fleas are a huge problem and in areas where tapeworms are endemic, it would make a lot of sense. Similarly, in areas where Dipylidium as well as Taenia and Echinococcus are diagnosed, the benefit of preventing zoonotic disease has real value. Blagburn: Obviously there is an interest in our industry to move toward more frequent administration of tapeworm medicines the way we’ve done with heartworm preventives and broad-spectrum internal parasiticides. References 1. Wilcox RS, Bowman DD, SC Barr, et al. Intestinal obstruction in a cat due to Taenia taeniaeformis. JAAHA 2007;in press. 2. Companion Animal Parasite Council. Cestodes: Tapeworm Guidelines I (Cyclophyllidean Cestodes*). Available at: www.capcvet.org/default.asp?p+ Guidelines_Tapeworm_I&h=0&s=. Accessed March 18, 2008. More information To read more about parasites and available products, visit the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s websites, www.capcvet.org and www.petsandparasites.org. © 2008 Virbac Animal Health. All rights reserved. Cover art by Dennis Kunkel. To view this publication online, visit www.advanstarvhc.com/c36. VF413 http://www.capcvet.org/default.asp?p Guidelines_Tapeworm_I&h=O&s= http://www.capcvet.org/default.asp?p Guidelines_Tapeworm_I&h=O&s= http://www.capcvet.org http://www.petsandparasites.org http://www.advanstarvhc.com/c36
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