Parasite Prevention – Non-Worm Parasites

The Giardia species exists in two forms – a fragile, feeding form, that causes gut upset inside the body, and a harder, breeding form that lives in the environment.
An animal can become infected with Giardia when it swallows the hard form stage of the parasite. This can be from stagnant bodies of water, such as puddles, ponds, pools and dams. Once consumed, the parasite attaches to the intestinal wall as a cyst, damaging the gut lining while it turns into it’s feeding form, grows, and sheds eggs. This is when clinical signs will start to develop. Within 1-2 weeks, the animal will then shed the eggs into the faeces, into the environment, and the cycle starts again.

Figure 1: Giardia Lifecycle (Lappin, MR. 2016)

The Coccidia species life cycle works very similarly to the Giardia species, but instead of your pet picking up the parasite in water, the parasite is usually ingested from infected plant matter, soil and faeces itself (Rats and mice are also vectors). The life cycle then closely resembles Giardia as explained above. Coccidia in particular are known to shed very quickly and be very resistant to environmental changes, so can infect and re-infect animals in merely a few hours, and last in the outside world for up to a year.

Figure 2: The Coccidia Lifecycle (Llera, R. et al)

Am I at risk of being infected?

There are some sub-species of non-worm parasites that can be zoonotic – meaning they can be transmitted to humans. Infection will still present with the same clinical signs from the gastrointestinal system. If your pet is diagnosed with a parasite infection, it’s important to maintain proper hygiene and cleaning until its eradicated.

Non-worm parasite infestation symptoms

Clinical signs for Giardia and Coccidia are very similar and most of the other intestinal bacterial/fungal infections typically present the same way too. Regardless of how heavy the parasite burden is, the only difference is how intense the clinical signs show in your pet, which can range from mild to severe. For severely affected animals like young puppies and kittens and senior dogs and cats, the symptoms listed below can be so incredibly taxing on their bodies that they pass away. For completely asymptomatic animals, it’s usually a coincidental finding when investigating other diseases.

Common symptoms of most non-worm parasite infestation include:-
• Bloody faeces
• Intermittent diarrhoea – sometimes with a green-ish tinge
• Poor body condition – weight loss
• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Dehydration
• Abdominal distress – sometimes potbellied
• Resistant to standard medicinal treatment of symptoms

Non-worm parasite infestation diagnosis

Because these parasites invade the gastrointestinal system and are excreted through faecal matter, a faeces sample is usually needed to begin diagnostics. Our Veterinarians and Nurses are able to perform a faecal floatation test in house, which allows us to look under the microscope at the sample to see if any ‘oocytes’ or eggs are present. Sometimes, a blood test is also required, especially for the other non-worm parasites such as Clostridium, Salmonella, Campylobacter and cryptosporidium – they sometimes don’t show up on a faecal floatation test. See Figure 3. for a visual representation of what Coccidia eggs look like under a microscope.

And now that you understand the parasite life cycle, pet owners need to remember that they are highly contagious and can re-infect at very fast rates – this means that if you live in a multi-pet household, there is a high chance that your other pets may have contracted the parasite as well, or will do so soon – even if they are asymptomatic. Get your other pets in for a Veterinarian to assess them, too, especially if they are immunocompromised in any way.

What can I expect if my pet undergoes non-worm parasite treatment?

The intensity of treatment entirely depends on the intensity of the clinical signs. As a baseline, any positively diagnosed animal will always receive some form of antibiotic treatment. Your Veterinarian will prescribe the correct type to treat the specific parasite your pet has contracted.

There are many, many different species, and many, many different types of antibiotics – so please bare in mind not to give your pet any antibiotics you may have leftover at home, or from a friend, etc. as this can cause antibiotic resistance if the wrong medication is given (It will be harder to get rid of the parasite burden).
All further forms of treatment is symptomatic. This means, for example, if your pet has dehydration then they will require intravenous fluid therapy – or if your pet has vomiting, then antinausea medication will be provided – and so on. Sometimes, the symptoms can be severe enough that admission to hospital will be required, to make it easier for to provide them with long-term, compound treatment. This can be through us at the Narangba Vet Clinic, or if overnight care is required, referred to our Pet ER/BVECCS after-hours team at North Lakes/Albany Creek.

It is also very important to treat your home to get rid of these parasites due to their volatile life cycle and the fact they can survive in the environment. You can do this with bleach, diluting at a 1:32 ratio in water to disinfect your household. You also may be worried about your pool being a source of contamination because some can breed in water – but as long as your pool is chlorinated, there is no risk. Maintaining a high level of hygiene helps too – picking up your dog’s faeces as soon as possible, wiping their feet when they come inside, and bathing them regularly (Some non-worm parasites spit out cysts into the environment when reproducing, which can stick to the coat of your pet).

Prevention – in both pets and your home

Similarly to intestinal worming prevention, non-worm parasites can be avoided through the use of prophylactics. Prevention is key at keeping non-worm parasites away – and persistence is key at eradicating a parasite population in your home. Prophylaxis can start in pets from as little as 6weeks old. The regime as demonstrated in Figure below should be followed. Keep in mind, the worming schedule after the 6 month mark depends on which product is being used. There are a few different types of intestinal wormers available – all of which are in tablet form, except Bravecto Plus (an all in one flea, tick, intestinal worm and heart worm prevention) for cats – and some that require boosters every month (such as NexGard Spectra), or every 3 months (such as Drontal/Cazitel and Popantel).

Figure 4: Intestinal worming regime (Greencross, 2022)

Call the clinic today if you have any further queries regarding this topic!

Resources
https://frontiervet.com/coccidia-giardia-non-worm-parasites/
https://www.greencrossvets.com.au/pet-library/articles-of-interest/giardia/
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/giardia-in-dogs#:~:text=Giardia%20infection%20in%20dogs%20may,may%20occur%20in%20some%20cases.
https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_coccidiosis
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/coccidiosis-in-dogs
https://veteriankey.com/giardiasis/