By Scott Weese on Posted in Dogs,ParasitesGiardia is a protozoal parasite that can cause diarrhea in multiple animal species. This microscopic parasite is a zoonotic pathogen that can be transmitted between animals and humans, and there are conerns about the role of pets in human disease. Various studies have evaluated the presence of Giardia in healthy dogs and, to a lesser degree,… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Deworming,Dogs,ParasitesCanadian Guidelines for the Treatment of Parasites in Dogs and Cats have recently been released. These guidelines were developed by an expert panel, consisting of six Canadian veterinary parasitologists and two private practitioners. They provide a good, balanced approach to the treatment of parasites, with an emphasis on the risks present in different regions and… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Other animals,Parasites,RabiesA recent question from a reader: "We live adjacent to the Oak Ridges Moraine in Aurora (Ontario) so our property has always been popular to local wildlife. For years, neighbourhood animals have enjoyed dry cat food in our backyard but the town has ordered this practice must stop immediately. Among reasons given, were that this… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Cats,Dogs,Other animals,ParasitesSpring appears to have finally sprung in earnest in Southern Ontario (although we may still get one more frost on the weekend, so I hear) and people are getting back out into the garden. An increasingly popular trend in recent years, particularly this year now that the Obama’s are doing it too, is vegetable gardening. … Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Dogs,ParasitesA UK man is on a campaign to raise awareness about Toxocara, following an infection that blinded the child of a family friend. Mike Kennedy, chairman of the Grange Residents’ Association, is raising awareness about the importance of picking up "dog dirt" (i.e. dog stool). Toxocara canis is an intestinal parasite that can be found… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in ParasitesI received this question the other day: I just bought sand for a sandbox that I bought new 3 weeks ago. My granddaughter and I were playing in it and I came across some 2 inch long worms. I had a cover on my sandbox from day one so no animals got into it. I… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,Dogs,Horses,Other diseases,ParasitesRecently, I made a few comments about climate change and the potential impact on infectious diseases in horses on our sister site, equIDblog. A recent news article in New Scientist discussed concerns about climate change and pets. The main infectious disease concern regarding climate change is changes in patterns and spread of insect-borne diseases, because different… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Other animals,ParasitesProMed mail has a report about 2 cases of Baylisascaris procyonis infection in people in Brooklyn, New York. Baylisascaris is the raccoon roundworm and is very commonly found in the intestinal tract of healthy raccoons. Raccoons shed this parasite in their stool, and after a short period of time, the parasite larvae become infective to… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Dogs,ParasitesI guess there’s now a week for absolutely everything. aPaws, the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (no, I’m not making this up) has declared April 1-7 to be International Pooper Scooper Week. The overlap with April Fool’s Day is apparently just a coincidence. This group was formed in 2002 in recognition of "the growing… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Deworming,Dogs,Parasites,VaccinationA dog park was closed because of an attempt by a dog-owner to disinfect puddles. The woman was seen pouring a gallon of bleach into a mud puddle, sparking an investigation. The site was closed while city staff pumped out puddles. The woman told the person that witnessed and reported the incident that her dog… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Other animals,ParasitesWe’ve had some beautiful warm days in southern Ontario lately, and spring – technically – arrives tomorrow (despite the fact that it’s been trying to snow in Guelph even this afternoon! But hope springs eternal (pardon the pun)). The picture (right) is Erin, my youngest daughter, enjoying the warmer weather and playing in a sandbox… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Dogs,ParasitesThis rather sensational title is from a Murdoch University (Australia) news article regarding a study of intestinal parasites in Australian dogs. It certainly grabs one’s attention. For me, the article brings to mind two different trains of thought: 1) Far more than 10% of dogs could make their owners sick. Be it dogs, cats, rabbits, iguanas… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Deworming,Dogs,ParasitesI read a press release today entitled "New Parasite Infection Killing Pet Dogs in Southern England". It’s about the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum. The main reservoir for this parasite in England is the common red fox. Slugs and snails are involved in transmission of the worm as well. Infection of dogs most likely occurs through ingestion… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Deworming,Dogs,ParasitesDeworming adult cats and dogs is a rather controversial area at the moment. Balancing concerns about animal health, zoonotic disease transmission, drug resistance, compliance and cost is difficult. Risks vary between different regions/climates and there are no clear answers. One area that is much less controversial is deworming of kittens and puppies (less than 6… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Dogs,Parasites“Some Beach, Somewhere” is not only a popular country music song AND the name of one of the best Standardbred racehorses in the world (originally Canadian, no less!), it’s also the prime source of infection for a disease called cutaneous larva migrans. Cutaneous larva migrans is a skin disease caused by migration of hookworm larvae.… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Dogs,ParasitesEchinococcus granulosus, the cause of hydatid disease/hydatosis in people, is on the rise in the Bashkiria (Bashkortostan) region of Russia. Fifty-three cases were identified in Bashkiria in 2008, 1.7 times the number of cases reported the year before. Over 500 cases of human infection with Echinococcus are reported in Russia annually. The original article (translated… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Cats,Dogs,Other animals,ParasitesCheyletiella is a genus of mites that commonly affect dogs (C. yasguri), cats (C. blakei), rabbits (C. parasitovorax), and occasionally people. Unlike Sarcoptes species (the mites that cause sarcoptic mange), these mites live on the surface of the skin and do not burrow into deeper layers. They feed on dead skin cells and occasionally tissue… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Other diseases,ParasitesI had an advice call the other day about control of Tritrichomonas fetus in cats. This protozoal parasite is being recognized as an important cause of diarrhea in cats, particularly in crowded situations such as catteries. In addition to the standard discussion about control of this parasite in cats, the question about human risks was… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Other diseases,ParasitesThe weather outside is frightful (at least up hear in Canada!) – it’s getting colder, the weatherman now warns us about “flurries” instead of “showers”, there’s frost on the cars in the morning, and we’ve all had to start putting on those extra bulky layers before leaving the house in the morning. There’s lots of… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Other animals,ParasitesRaccoon latrines are a major source of eggs of the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis. Accidental ingestion of large numbers of eggs from these latrines can lead to a disease known as visceral larval migrans. The most severe forms of this condition are known as ocular or neural larval migrans, which are damage to the eyes… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Deworming,Dogs,Other animals,ParasitesEchinococcus granulosus is a tapeworm of dogs that causes a condition known as hydatid disease or hydatidosis in humans. The parasite is found in many parts of the world, and is very common in some regions of southern South America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, southwestern Asia, northern Africa and Australia. To the best of… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Other animals,ParasitesThis post has been updated with new information as of October 2, 2008. An article was published on Sunday in a local Guelph newspaper about a 14-month-old child who has been battling infection with Baylisascaris larvae in a Hamilton (Ontario) hospital for the last two weeks. This comes on the heals of a very recent… Continue Reading
