Endoparasitism / Internal worm infestation is also one of the common condition encountered in the practice frequently in the young ones. The various types of the internal parasites recorded in pets are lined up as under...

As most often pet practitioners advise a routine deworming preferably once in 3 months with broad-spectrum dewormer as a prophalytic measure to prevent the harm effects caused by parsites of which some are listed below.

• Competes for the nutrition
• Sucks blood leading to anemia
  
• Blocks the intestine leading to constipation
• Inappetance & diarrhoea etc.

SPIROCERCA LUPI ( Esophageal worm)

Adult Spirocerca lupi are bright red worms generally located within the nodules in the esophageal, gastric or aortic walls. dogs are infected by eating an intermediate host usually a dung beetle or a transport host chicken, reptiles or rodents. Eggs are passed in the feces approximately 5-6 month after infection. Most dogs with infection show no clinical signs. When the esophageal lesion is very large (usually when it has become neoplastic), the dog has difficulty in swallowing and may vomit repeatedly after trying to eat. Occasionally a dog will die suddenly as the result of massive hemorrhage into the thorax after rupture of the aorta damanged by the developing worms.

Diagnosis can be made by demonstrating the characteristic small elongated eggs that contain larvae in the feces. A presumptive diagnosis can be made by radiographic examination when it reveals dense masses in the esophagus, a positive contrast barium study may help define the lesion.

Treatment & Control

In endemic areas, dogs should be prevented from eating dung beetles, frogs, lizards etc. and not to feed raw chicken scraps. Treatment is not practical although preliminary studies have shown that levamisole, disophenol and albendazole may be useful. Surgical removal usually is unsuccessful because of the large areas of the esophagus involved.

ROUND WORMS (Ascariasis)

Roundworms are common especially in puppies & kittens. There are 3 species recorded viz., Toxocara canis, Toxascaris Leonina and Toxocara cati of which the most important is T.canis as the larvae may migrate in man and also can cause fatal infections in young pups.

The usual mode of infection in puppies with T.canis is transplacental transfer. The first indication of infection in young pups is lack of growth and loss of condition. Infected pups will be dull and potbellied. Worms may be vomited and often voided in the feces. In severe infections of puppies penumonia, ascites, fatty degenertion of liver are common.

Treatment and control

Broad spectrum compounds like fenbendazole, Pyrantel Pamoate, mebendazole should be used for treatment. Perinatal transmission of infection is greatly reduced by dosing the bitch prior to mating and 10-14 days after whelping. In addition, pups should be treated as early as possible ideally 2 weeks after birth and repeated at 2-3 weeks interval till 3 month of age.

HOOKWORMS

Ancylostoma caninum is a type of the hookworm commonly recorded in the pets. The eggs are passed in the feces 15-20 days after infection. Transmission may result from ingestion of infective larvae from the environment and from the colostrum or milk of infected bitches. The infected pup will suffer from anemia, debilitated, malnourished, diarrhoea with dark tarry feces etc. Anemia results from the blood-sucking and the bleeding ulcerations that occur during the shifting to different sites of the worm. The amount of blood loss due to a single worm in 24 hr. has been estimated to be upto 0.1 ml.

Treatment and control

The bitch should be free of hookworms before breeding and kept out of contaminated areas during pregnancy. Treatment includes dosing with Pyrantel Pamoate, fenbendazole etc. When anemia is severe, chemotherapy may have to be supported by blood transfusion or supplemental iron followed by high protein diet until the hemoglobin level is normal.

WHIPWORMS

The type of whipworm recorded in Trichuris vulpis, which commonly inhabit cecum where they are firmly attached to the wall, with their anterior end embedded in mucosa. Thick-shelled eggs are passed in the feces and become infective in 2-4 weeks in a warm moist environment. No signs are seen in light infections, but as the worm burden increases and the inflammatory reaction in the cecum becomes more pronounced, weight loss and diarrhoea is evident.

Treatment and control

The eggs are susceptible to dessication, therefore by maintaining cleanliness and eliminating moist areas, the infection in dogs can be reduced considerably, although T.vulpis infections can be difficult to control. For treatment effective compounds include fenbendazole, mebendazole administered orally alone or with the feed.

TAPEWORMS (Cestodes)

Most urban dogs and cats eat prepared food and have restricted access to natural prey. Such animal may acquire Dipylidium caninum from fleas. Suburban, rural and hunting dogs have more access to various small mammals and raw meat. Association with infected dogs may result in human infection with metacestodes of E.granulosus, T. multiceps, T.serialis in various tissues or adult D caninum in the intestine. Adult cestodes in the intestine of dog and cats rarely cause serious disease and clinical signs may depend on the degree of infection, age, condition and breed of the the host. Clinical signs vary from irritability, capricious appetitie and shaggy coat to colic (abdominal pain) and mild diarrhoea. Diagnosis is based on finding eggs or proglottids segment of tapeworm in the feces.

Treatment and control

Control of tapeworms requires therapy and prevention. Dipylidium caninum can cycle through fleas that may be associated with confined infected animals. Effective treatment should remove the attached scolices head of tapeworm) from the small intestine of infected pets. Praziqunatel is efficacious against adult of most tapeworms given@ 5 mg / body weight.

FLUKES (Intestinal Flukes)

The type of fluke seen in pets is Nanophyetus salmincola, causes "salmon poisoning" is a oval fluke found in the small intestine of dogs and cats. The first intermediate hosts are snails found in endemic location. Dogs become infected by eating raw or improperly prepared infected fish. Flukes embed deeply in the intestine, infection with large number cause enteritis. Praziquantel is an effective treatment.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is a malnutrition disorder caused by a deficiency of pancreatic digestive enzymes. EPI is usually caused by an idiopathic atrophy of the acinar cells that contain zymogen but can also be caused by re-current pancreatis and the associated loss of acinar cells. Clinical findings: Classic signs include polyphagia, weight loss and frequent passage of large volume of feces. Pica and coprophagia can also be seen. The feces range from diarrheal to semiformed and may be foul smelling; they are brown to yellow and have a greasy texture due to steatorrhea. Animals with EPI are typically thin and have dull, dry hair coats, which reflect their malnourished condition. the hemogram is normal or shows a mild nomochromic, normocytic anemia due to malnutrition. Serum chemistry levels are usually normal; however, hypoproteinemia can occur as a result of faulty digestion and impaired assimilation of ingested proteins. Hyperglycemia can occur if 90% of the pancreas has been destroyed by earlier pancreatitis. Diagnosis: Examination of the feces for the presence of fat or carbohydrate and trypsin activity (film digestion) are empirical tests and frequently yield inaccurte results. The serum trypsin like immunoreactivity assay (TLI) is a sensitive and accurte quantitative test for diagnosing EPI in dogs. Treatment and Prognosis : Once EPI is diagnosed, treatment is rather simple. A commercial pancreatic enzyme product (the powdered form is preferred over tablets) should be thoroughly mixed in a moist, nutritionally balanced ratio (1 tsp / 0.5 kg of food) at each feeding. A balanced vitamin-mineral tablet is also helpful. Some dogs that have concurrent intestinal bacterial overgrowth require antimicrobial treatment to enhance the effectiveness of treatment. Increased amounts of food should be provided until normal body weight is reached. The prognosis for most animals is excellent with appropriate therapy. However, pancreatic exocrine tissue rarely regenerates and in most cases, treatment is lifelong.