PESKY PARASITES AND THEIR DISEASES,
Part 1 of 2

by Kaye Wigginton, D.V.M.
published in the Northeast Times

 

Let’s face it, creepy, crawling, jumping, wiggly parasites freak us out! No one wants to see these in or on us or our four-legged family member. Well, not only are these parasites unwelcome, they also transmit diseases to our pet and us. In this two-part series, we will discuss the most common external and internal parasites that our pets and we can encounter.   We will concentrate on fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites. The other major internal parasite, Heartworms in dogs and cats, was discussed in a previous article. This month we will discuss fleas and ticks. It is important to remember that all of these parasites can be prevented, treated and/or controlled with proper veterinary care.

 

 

Fleas and ticks have been a problem for centuries. They are disease carrying, annoying, good for nothing pests. 

 

 

Fleas are insects. There are over 2,000 species of fleas throughout the world. Their last pair of legs are much larger than their other four legs which makes them fantastic jumpers. The record high jump for a flea is over 1 foot. That is quite an accomplishment for an insect that is only 2-8mm long. Both male and female fleas feed on the blood of animals. They can live many months without a meal. There are four stages of development: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. One female flea can produce 400-1000 eggs in her lifetime. A flea lifetime can range from several months to 2 years depending on the species. The entire life cycle from eggs to adult takes about 15 days. However, the pupae can remain dormant under unfavorable conditions (like cold weather) and extend that cycle to over 1 year. This is important information when you are planning flea control. This is why flea control should be a year round commitment.

 

 

There are several diseases and parasites that fleas can transmit. One is the Tapeworm. Tapeworms rarely cause serious disease in the dog and cat. There is one type of tapeworm (Echinococcus spp.) that your pet can get that is transmissible and serious to humans, but it is very rare in most areas of the U.S. Your pet is infected with tapeworms by ingesting a flea or by hunting and eating wildlife or rodents infested with fleas, tapeworms or tapeworm eggs. These parasites can be seen in the feces, around the anal area, or dried up and stuck in the hair of your pet or in their bedding. The live worms are white, segmented and flat. The segments, when dried, look like small golden colored grains of rice. These worms can cause debilitation, weight loss and vomiting so they should be treated when diagnosed. The most common tapeworm for dogs and cats is Dipylidium caninum and it is treated with a prescription drug only. To be treated, your pet must see your veterinarian. Also, flea control will be recommended because fleas are what transmit this type of tapeworm.

 

 Another disease is Hemobartonellosis (also known as Feline Infectious Anemia, or Feline Hemotropic Mycoplasmosis). This disease can range from no clinical signs to mild anemia, to severe life threatening anemia and death. Some cats, after recovering from the disease, become life time carriers of this disease. There have not been any reported cases of Hemobartonellosis in people. This disease is transmitted by both fleas and ticks.

 

Plague is another disease transmitted by fleas. Who can forget the Bubonic plague? Plague is a bacterial infection caused by a bacteria transmitted by the rodent flea; however, this flea is not only found on rodents, but on cats, dogs, and rabbits as well. The domestic pets can carry infected fleas into the home. Plague is still diagnosed in the United States (mainly in the desert SW) as well as other areas of the world.

 

Typhus is a disease also transmitted by rodent fleas or cat fleas. These fleas are carried by rodents, opossums, cats and dogs. Typhus is diagnosed worldwide. In the United States, it is most commonly seen in California, New York, and the Gulf Coast States. It does not appear to produce disease in dogs and cats like it does in people.

 

Tularemia (also known as Rabbit Fever) affects cats, and people. Dogs appear to be somewhat resistant to this disease. This disease is spread from animal to animal by ticks and fleas. This bacterial disease is relatively rare but can affect birds, animals and people and is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

 

 

Ticks are not insects. They are Arachnids; just like spiders and mites. The adult tick has 8 legs. There are approximately 850 species of ticks. There are two families of ticks: hard ticks and soft ticks. Ticks require 1, 2 or 3 hosts to complete their four stage (eggs, larvae, nymph, adult) life cycle. Most ticks are 3 host ticks meaning that they feed on 3 different hosts during their development. What do ticks eat? Blood and only blood. Almost any blood will do. Except for eggs, each stage requires a blood meal to progress to the next stage. Ticks transmit the biggest variety of pathogens of any other blood sucking arthropod. The diseases that ticks transmit include bacteria, rickettsiae, protozoa and viruses. One female tick can lay from 1000-6000 eggs in her lifetime. The lifetime of a tick can range from less than 1 year to up to several years depending on the species of the tick. The tick diseases that affect humans are Babesiosis, Colorado tick fever, Ehrlichiosis, Relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, and Lyme disease. The ones that affect our dogs and/or cats are Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Hemobartonellosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, Hepatozoonosis, Cytauxzoonosis, and Tick Paralysis.

 

There is not enough space in this article to discuss each and every one of these diseases in detail. Please refer to the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov 

 

Now that you have all the bad news about these pesky parasites, what is the good news? Flea and Tick control has come a long way since the days of flea collars, baths and smelly, toxic dips. We now have wonderful, safe, effective and long lasting products that kill, sterilize, and control fleas and ticks. You and your veterinarian should decide which products are best for you and your pet based on their lifestyle and your previous or present environmental conditions.