Cucumber tapeworm in dogs photo

Pathogen

The disease is caused by a tapeworm up to 70 cm long. The anterior segments are male organisms, the posterior segments are female. Mature proglottids, filled with eggs, detach from the body of the worm (strobili) and are excreted with feces. The segments look like cucumber seeds. They can move and push out eggs. The latter are swallowed by flea or lice larvae. Cysticerci form in the body of an arthropod. The dog swallows the insect, digests it, the young cestodes are released, stick to the intestinal wall, and feed on the contents. Growth and maturity takes about four weeks.

The causative agent of dipylidia and ways of infection by it

Helminth Dipylidium caninum
The causative agent of dipylidiasis is the helminth Dipylidium caninum (or cucumber tapeworm). This is a yellow, pinkish or grayish worm, consisting of a head and a segmented body. The head (scolex) is equipped with suction cups and hooks, with the help of which the helminth is attached to the intestinal walls of animals. Body length (strobilus) is from 10 to 70 centimeters, diameter is 3-5 mm. The testes of the worm resemble a cucumber fruit and are oval in shape.

Two hosts participate in the development of the helminth:

• Intermediate – dog lice eater or fleas, the body of which contains parasite larvae. Cestode eggs are eaten by flea larvae that live in the dog's bedding. The egg, which has turned into a pupa, reaches the invasive stage in the organisms of fleas. In the body of a lice eater, the helminth develops to the third stage.
• The main (definitive) is a carnivore (dog, cat) and a person. The larvae enter the intestines of the main host by eating fleas or lice eaters. The cestode lives in the body of the main host for several months. The parasite, while in the intestine of the carrier, forms segments with eggs, which enter the external environment through the animal’s fur and bedding. The helminth development cycle closes.

Dipylidiasis is widespread, infection occurs throughout the year, but most often in the warm season.

Danger to humans

Helminth eggs do not pose a danger to humans. They must mature in the body of an intermediate host - lice or fleas. If a child accidentally swallows an insect, larvae are released in his intestines. The human body is not a suitable place for a worm to develop. However, the toxins released by the parasite can cause diarrhea, an allergic rash, a specific cough, and abdominal pain in the baby. The adult body does not allow cysticerci to attach to the intestinal mucosa.

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Vomiting is a symptom of ingestion

Symptoms

The following clinical signs occur with dipilidia:

• parasites injure the intestinal mucosa;
• the motor and secretory function of the digestive tract is impaired;
• Cestode metabolites are toxic to the body. Poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea or constipation;
• appetite decreases;
• the dog is depressed;
• the skin dries out, dermatitis occurs;
• with high infestation, nervous phenomena cannot be ruled out;
• in puppies, the belly sag due to general exhaustion;
• Anal itching is observed in adult animals.
• moving segments are found in feces.

Worms cause anal itching

Diagnosis and treatment

There is no need for complex research. Clinical symptoms plus detection of segments are sufficient to make a final diagnosis.

The therapeutic strategy is developing in the following directions:

• deworming;
• elimination of complications;
• flea control.

Deworming

Dying parasites release toxic substances that provoke vomiting. Therefore, before giving an anthelmintic, unless the instructions indicate otherwise, the dog must fast for at least a day. A popular dosage form is tablets. Dog handlers prefer to use universal anthelmintics because there is a high probability of the dog becoming infected with different types of helminths. To prevent helminthic diseases, pets are dewormed quarterly. Features of the use of drugs are presented in the table.

Special instructions:

1. Azinox+ is not prescribed to pregnant bitches during the first ten days after lambing. Incompatible with Piperazine.
2. Alben S is not recommended for pregnant and lactating bitches, as well as for cubs <3 months.
3. Dironet is contraindicated for puppies and lactating females.
4. Drontal+ is not prescribed for the first 6 weeks of pregnancy.
5. Kanikvantel+ is not prescribed to pregnant women.
6. Polyverkan. Not recommended for animals weighing <5 kg, or during pregnancy.
7. Prazicide. Contraindicated in dogs < 10 kg, pregnant bitches.
8. Febtal. Recommended for small dogs.
9. In case of severe infestation, Cestal+ is recommended to be reapplied after 2 weeks.

Azinox Plus
After deworming, feces are analyzed for eggworms and cestode fragments. Two weeks later the procedure is repeated. If the result is two times negative, the dog is considered recovered.

Elimination of complications

Parasitic worms damage the integrity of the dog's intestinal wall. Conditionally pathogenic microflora joins. To suppress it, sulfonamides or antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone group are used. Probiotics are used to restore the intestinal and stomach mucosa.

Flea control

Without destroying the reservoir of dipylidia - blood-sucking ectoparasites - the fight against invasion is unproductive. When a dog swallows an insect, it becomes infected again. Therefore, fleas are destroyed on it using the following means:

• destructive emulsions;
• insecticidal sprays;
• drops on the withers;
• flea collars.

Lawyer
Arthropods lay eggs that are not affected by insecticides. They are scattered by fleas throughout the apartment. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly treat the premises with an insecticide twice, with an interval of 7–10 days.

Dipylidiasis of carnivores

The disease is caused by tapeworms Dipylidium caninum of the Dipylidiidae family of the suborder Hymenolepidata. Helminths are localized in the small intestines of dogs, cats, fur-bearing animals, wild carnivores, and humans.

Pathogen

. D. caninum (cucumber tapeworm) is a pale yellow cestode, 40 - 70 cm long, 2-3 mm wide. The scolex is small in size, with four suckers and a proboscis armed with four to five rows of small hooks.

The genitals are double, opening at the edges of the body. Mature segments look like cucumber seeds. In them, the uterus breaks up into round capsules (cocoons). There are about 20 small gray eggs in the cocoon. Inside the egg there is an embryo (oncosphere) with 6 hooks.

Development cycle

. The causative agent is a biohelminth. Its development is carried out with the help of intermediate hosts: fleas (Ctenocephalides canis, C. felis, Pulex irritans) and lice eaters (Trichodectes canis).

The definitive hosts release mature segments with feces, each of which contains about 3000 eggs. They end up on the floor, bedding, and animal fur, where they are swallowed by the larvae of fleas and lice-eaters. In their stomach and intestines, oncospheres emerge from the eggs. Cucumber tapeworm larvae begin to develop in the body of the pupa, but the invasive stage (cysticercoid) is formed only in the body of adult intermediate hosts. Up to 50 cysticercoids can parasitize the body of one flea. Their development lasts about 50 days.

Definitive hosts become infected by ingesting the imaginal stages of fleas and lice-eaters infested with cucumber tapeworm cysticercoids. Cestodes become sexually mature after three weeks. Their lifespan is several months.

Epizootological data

. This is a fairly common disease in carnivores. Dogs and cats suffer from dipilidia at any time of the year, however, in the summer the extent and intensity of the invasion is much higher. The intensity of invasion in urban domestic carnivores is higher than in rural and wild animals, and can reach 300 or more individuals.

Pathogenesis and immunity

. Adult helminths are low pathogenic. Animals can tolerate parasitism of several hundred cestodes without showing clinical signs. Pathogens mechanically affect the mucous membrane of the small intestines, leading to disruption of the secretory-motor function of the digestive canal. Over time, desquamation and atrophy of the jejunal villi occurs. The accumulation of parasitic worms in the intestines leads to difficulty in moving food. Secondary toxicosis occurs and digestion is disrupted. Nervous disorders are sometimes observed. The segments that linger in the anus of a sick animal during their active movement cause itching.

Immunity has not been studied enough.

Symptoms of the disease

depend on the intensity of invasion. In case of weak invasion, the disease is asymptomatic. With severe damage (hundreds of helminths in one animal), decreased appetite, depression, exhaustion, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes perverted appetite are observed. Coordination of movements is impaired, convulsions appear.

Pathological changes

. The corpse is emaciated, the mucous membranes are pale. A characteristic symptom of the disease is catarrhal-hemorrhagic inflammation of the small intestines.

Diagnostics

. An intravital diagnosis is made based on the identification of segments in the feces that resemble cucumber seeds. To find individual cocoons, feces are examined using the Fulleborn method. An accurate diagnosis is established during autopsy. Pay attention to pathological changes and the presence of pathogens in the small intestines.

In order to identify cysticercoids, the imago of fleas and lice eaters is examined using the compressor method. Infective larvae are microscopic in size. The front part of their body is widened, the back part is elongated.

Treatment

. The most effective is the use of drugs that contain praziquantel and its combinations. Bunamidine can be used.

Prevention and control measures

. In nurseries, nature reserves and at home, the veterinary and sanitary condition of carnivores and fur-bearing animals is monitored.

In order to prevent dipilidia, measures should be taken to destroy fleas and lice eaters at different stages of their development using insecticides.

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Prevention

Cucumber tapeworm is spread by fleas, lice, and lice. Therefore, regular disinsection is considered an important preventive measure. Another approach is to deworm dogs quarterly. Prevention must be taken seriously - the health of pets and children is at risk.

Dipilidiosis develops using the main host - a dog, as well as an intermediate - an external parasite. Treating a pet is a troublesome business, so the disease must be prevented. Flea control and quarterly deworming can help protect your pet from parasitic worm infection. Unlike fleas, lice actively develop in winter.

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Symptoms of cucumber tapeworm in dogs

The cucumber tapeworm in dogs attaches to the intestines due to the hooks it has. When a parasite attaches to the intestinal mucosa, the dog’s body cannot help but react to it. In the places where the parasite attaches, wounds form, the mucous membrane of the animal’s small intestine suffers, and toxic substances are also released during the life of the helminth.

How does infection occur?

The dog’s body may not be able to cope with them, reacting with allergic manifestations. Puppies experience worse the presence of this tapeworm in the body. Naturally, characteristic symptoms appear that indicate the presence of this worm:

Cucumber tapeworm in dogs

• Attacks of vomiting - the dog begins to vomit, its health noticeably worsens.
• Stool disorders - cucumber tapeworm can cause both diarrhea and constipation, which equally negatively affects the condition of the animal.
• The gastrointestinal tract organs cease to function fully; this occurs due to the accumulation of feces (if the invasion is accompanied by constipation), as well as the presence of several helminths in the small intestine.
• The dog becomes lethargic, does not want to play, refuses to eat, even the most delicious food, which it previously ate with pleasure.
• The animal becomes aggressive or irritated. Unconditional anger appears.
• Puppies are stunted, become emaciated and thin.

If the owner notices that something is wrong with his pet, the condition is similar to the symptoms described, he should immediately contact a veterinarian for appropriate help. Self-treatment may not bring the desired results, since the owners cannot know for sure which worm is affecting their household.