FELINE MED

• Toxocara cati


  Arrow-headed worm

  
• Toxoscara leonina


  Arrow-headed worm

  
• Toxocara malaysiensis


  Feline roundworm

  
• T. cati is cosmopolitan parasites of domestic dogs and cats. While common globally, prevalence in both animals and people is highest in developing countries

  
• The most important of the three roundworms affecting cats is T. cati because it is the most common, infections may impact the health of kittens, and it is zoonotic

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Pathogenesis

  1. Larvae undergo migration through liver and lung

  2. Larvae return to small intestine to develop into adult worms

  3. Hemorrhage and inflammation in lungs

  4. Adult worms cause mucoid enteritis and diarrhea

  5. Adult worms in stomach cause vomiting

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Transmission

  • Fecal oral route
  • Trans-mammary (milk-borne) infection
  • Earthworms and other invertebrate hosts

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Clinical signs/findings

  • Lack of growth and loss of condition
  • Worms vomited or in feces
  • Diarrhea with mucus

  
• Predilection site: Small Intestine
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Lesions at Necropsy

  • Focal scarring in liver
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Diagnosis

  • Identification of adult parasites
  • Examination of feces for eggs or antigen

  
• Infection in cats is diagnosed by detection of ova in feces. Sensitivity is maximized by using a centrifugal fecal flotation method.

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Differential Diagnosis

  • Hookworms
  • Strongyloides
  • Coccidiosis
  • Giardiasis
  • Physaloptera

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Treatment (anthelminthics)

  • Ivermectin
  • Emodepside
  • Eprinomectin
  • Fenbendazole
  • Milbemycin
  • Moxidectin
  • Piperazine
  • Pyrantel
  • Selamectin

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Control


  • Routine fecal monitoring
  • Prompt disposal of feces
  • Regular deworming
  • Clean litterbox, minimize bugs and rodents

  
• Roundworm Infection (Ascariasis) Prevention


  • Treat queens in last week of pregnancy
  • Treat kittens at 2 weeks, 2-week intervals to 12 weeks, then monthly to 6 months
  • Treat nursing queens

  
• Toxocara eggs are extremely resistant remaining infective for years – virtually impossible to rid from soils in heavily contaminated situations, prevent cats eating potential paratenic hosts (rodents – toxocara infection rates are high)

  
• Physically clean surfaces using high pressure washers, followed by 1% sodium hypochlorite, followed by water rinsing; this does not kill eggs, but merely removes their ability to stick to surfaces
• A. tubaeforme is more pathogenic than A. braziliense because it is a voracious bloodsucker and consumes much more blood than the latter two species.
• Hookworms


  • Ancylostoma tubaeforme
  • Ancylostoma braziliense

  
• A. tubaeforme have a cosmopolitan geographic distribution
• Ancylostoma tubaeforme


  Voracious bloodsucker, can cause anemia, diarrhea, and weight loss in kittens. Large numbers can be fatal.

  
• Ancylostoma braziliense


  Penetration by larval hookworms occasionally causes a dermatitis with erythema, pruritus, and papules, most commonly on the feet and interdigital spaces.

  
• Hookworm Pathogenesis


  1. Skin penetration

  2. Migration to lungs via lymphatics and veins

  3. Penetrate alveoli and migrate up respiratory tree

  4. Swallowed and return to small intestine

  5. Attach to mucosa and mature into adults

  6. Secrete enzymes and anticoagulants to digest mucosa and facilitate bloodsucking

  7. Damage intestinal villi causing malabsorption and diarrhea

  8. Move to new feeding sites, leaving bleeding ulcerations

  
• Hookworm Epidemiology and Transmission

  • Fecal oral route
  • Ingestion of infective larvae from environment
  • Ingestion of larvae in tissues of vertebrate hosts

  
• Hookworm Clinical signs/findings


  • Anemia
  • Digested blood in stool
  • Poor hair coat
  • Weight loss
• Hookworm Lesions on necropsy

  • Hemorrhagic intestinal contents
  • Swollen mucosa with bite marks
  • Presence of adult worms

  
• Hookworm Diagnosis


  • Fecal flotation with centrifugation
  • CBC - anemia, eosinophilia
  • Fecal test for hookworm antigen
• Hookworm Differential diagnosis


  • Hemolysis
  • Acute or chronic blood loss
• Hookworm Treatment


  • Ivermectin
  • Milbemycin oxime
  • Emodepside
  • Selamectin
  • Moxidectin
• Hookworm Control


  • Control of rodents
  • Remove stools from litter boxes daily
• Hookworm Prevention


  • Treat newborn kittens at 2-3 weeks
• Pay particular attention to the manufacturer's recommendations regarding the use of the drugs in pregnant animals and in kittens < 4 weeks of age. Do not give dichlorvos to animals with heartworm disease.
• Tapeworm (Cestoda) (Flatworms)


  • Taenia taeniaeformis - also known as "cat tapeworm"
• Taenia taeniaeformis has a worldwide geographic distribution
• Taenia taeniaeformis Etiology and pathogenesis

  • Infection by ingestion of intermediate host containing tapeworm larvae
  • Eating or ingestion fleas and lice during grooming
  • Eating or ingestion of viscera of intermediate hosts (birds, rabbits, rodents)

  
• Taenia taeniaeformis Epidemiology and Transmission


  • Ingestion of intermediate host containing tapeworm larvae
  • Found in cats that are active hunters or fed raw meat

  
• Taenia taeniaeformis Clinical signs


  • Weakness, irritability, shaggy coat
  • Colic and mild diarrhea
  • Rarely, intussusception, blockage, emaciation, seizures
• Taenia taeniaeformis Diagnosis


  • Fecal flotation to detect eggs
  • PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) assay

  
• An accurate diagnosis is necessary