Dipylidium caninum.

Dipylidium caninum.

1. Zoonotic considerations

   • Infected when flea ingested - unlikely in humans
     • Causes diarrhoea and pruitis in humans
     • Small children & hygiene issues however...

2. TAPEWORM

   • Life cycle
     • Gravid proglottids (mobile- outer "packaging") released from pets anus
     • Proglottids disintergrate and release 1,000's of "egg packets" - each contains 20-30 oncospheres into environement (embryo's)
     • Flea larval stage ingests egg packets - egg hatches inside and penertrates intestinal wall - cysticercoid larvae stage develops in body cavity
     • Flea larae develops into adult & is ingested by dog/cat/human
     • Cat/ dog/ human is infected by cysticercoid stage - develops and produces further proglottids

3. FLEA

   • Life cycle
     • Eggs laid on host - fall into environment and hatch within 1-10 days dependent on conditions
     • Larvae undertake 3 stage metamorphosis in 5-11 day = feed on debris in environment
     • Pupae: 5-9 days emerge in ideal conditions, up to 6 months in non-ideal conditions
     • Adult: 10-62 days within environment—on host feeding occurs
     • Within the first 8-24 hours mating occurs, then laying after 36-48 hours following blood meal which continues for 100 days (dependent on blood only following this)
   • REFERENCES
     • "Hendrix & Robinson, 2012"
       • A single female flea can produce 2000 eggs in her life time (27-50 eggs per day)
   • General knowledge
     • Ctenocephalides felis - cat flea = most common in UK
     • Difficult to locate on host - flea dirt = diagnosis

4. TREATMENT

   • Fleas
     • Clean environment thoroughly - Hot wash, Freeze bedding, Insecticide/ IGR spray
       • Indorex - AVM-GSL
     • Advocate - POM
     • Effipro - NFA VPS
     • MUST treat all animals in the household
     • Monthly - prolonged treatment essential
   • Tapeworm
     • Milbemax - POM
     • Profender - Cats ONLY - POM
     • 1-3 monthly treatment dependent on threat