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Parasites in pets
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Passed Over the Rainbow Bridge

Handling Parasites in Pets 

tick.jpg
Engorged tick

Tick Removal

A nurse discovered a safe, easy way to remove ticks where they automatically withdraw themselves when you follow her simple instructions. Read ...this one as it could save you from some major problems.

Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing their heads. Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a try.

A School Nurse has written the info below--good enough to share--and it really works!

"I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great because it works in those places where it's sometimes difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc."

"Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.

This technique has worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.."

Also, if you just pull a tick off, their heads sometimes break off and are left under the skin so this is much safer. Be aware also that a tick with a white speck on its back is a Deer Tick, these can cause Tick Fever so check yourself and your family good if you see any of these!

"Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. Please pass on. Everyone needs this helpful hint.

The materials, information and answers provided through this website are not intended to replace the medical advice or services of a qualified veterinarian or other pet health care professional. Consult your own veterinarian for answers to specific medical questions, including diagnosis, treatment, therapy or medical attention.

Giardia

Dog When it comes to Giardia in the kennel, the concern is less about treatment and more about the long term plan to manage it. Giardia is one of those parasites that always seem to be waiting for the perfect time to strike. In a kennel, this time is usually after weaning and right around the time the puppies get to their new home - both inconvenient times for a breeder.

What is Giardia:

Giardia is a tiny parasite, one-celled protozoa that is hard to diagnose. They can be difficult to see under the microscope and take a trained eye to identify them accurately. Screening tests are also available, such as SNAP® Giardia Test Kit. In these tests, the feces is mixed with the solution, placed in a well and then "snapped" down to start the test, which checks for a protein from the Giardia organism. Snap tests are useful as a piece of the puzzle, not as a definitive test. Though negative tests are true negatives, false positives are very common and may be deceiving. If you have a positive snap test and you're not sure if it's correct, send feces to the lab for more accurate diagnosis. Since a snap test can read positive for 3 weeks after Giardia is removed from the gut, don’t be too quick to call a treatment failure!

Recommended Treatment:

Metronidazole has traditionally been used to treat Giardia, but lately there has been resistance (60% effective). The current treatment of choice is Fenbendazole (Safeguard®) which is 96% effective when used 6 days in a row.

Bathing is also important. Giardia oocysts are sticky and will stay on the hair coat, particularly the back legs and directly infective, meaning the dog passes them in the stool and can immediately re-infect themselves while grooming. Bathe the dog with Chlor 4 Shampoo on days 3 and 5 of treatment. The chlorhexidine will kill the oocyst. Giardia is sticky and will stay particularly on the back legs, so concentrate on the back half of the body. If you don’t bathe them, they can just re-infect themselves, making your treatment ineffective.

Since Giardia is stubborn, contaminated kennels should be scrubbed and disinfected. Chlorhexidine disinfectant is effective against the spores at room temp and quaternary ammonia is effective at both room temp and colder. Caution here as quaternary ammonia is not safe around nursing babies - fading puppy/kitten syndrome!

Long Term Control:

Long-term control starts with the mother. When she is heavily pregnant, the stress will decrease her resistance to parasites. Using Fenbendazole three days in a row after day 50 of gestation is helpful in preventing the transfer of parasites including Giardia to babies. Use Fenbendazole 6 days with problem moms with previous litter Giardia issues!

Bathing the mother before whelping is also helpful when fighting the problem. Alternatively, some breeders will clip the hair on the back legs and belly to remove the oocysts the mom carries on her hair. Either technique is effective. The goal is preventing transfer to babies!

For puppies, deworm three days in a row with Safeguard® at 6 and 8 weeks of age for prevention. The 6 week prevention is crucial as that is the age Giardia sets up in the intestine with most Giardia diarrhea starting at 8-10 weeks. This way you eliminate any Giardia that have found their way into the baby before you deal with diarrhea.

Resistant Giardia infections:

The problem with routine Giardia prevention is we kill the susceptible Giardia leaving any resistant Giardia to reproduce. If dealing with resistance, traditional Giardia treatment has to be altered for a time. The resistant Giardia needs to be eliminated, if possible, to avoid spreading.

If resistant Giardia is an issue, your veterinarian can prescribe Secnidazole – most Giardia issues clear with one dose. Ronidazole has also been shown to be effective against resistant Giardia in dogs. In addition to the drug treatment, bathing the dog with shampoo containing chlorhexidine is important to the efficacy of the treatment.

Summary:

With all parasites, you want to think long-term control. If you just treat the puppies without considering where the parasite is coming from, you'll eventually get resistance that overwhelms your medication. Every year you should have fewer and fewer parasite numbers in your kennel. Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia and Giardia should all be accounted for in your preventative program. If babies don’t get Giardia, you don’t have to get them back out!
 
From Revival Animal Health Newsletter

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