Dog and Cat Whipworms
Whipworms develop when a dog swallows whipworm eggs, passed from an infected dog. Symptoms may include diarrhea, anemia, and dehydration. The dog whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) is commonly found in the U.S. It is hard to detect at times, because the numbers of eggs shed are low, and they are shed in waves. Centrifugation is the preferred method. There are several preventives available by prescription from a veterinarian to prevent dogs from getting whipworm.
The cat whipworm is a rare parasite. In Europe, it is represented mostly by Trichuris campanula, and in North America it is Trichuris serrata more often. Whipworm eggs found in cats in North America must be differentiated from lungworms, and from mouse whipworm eggs just passing through.
Read more about this topic: Trichuris Trichiura
Famous quotes containing the words dog and, dog and/or cat:
“If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater ... suggest that he wear a tail.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1951)
“When a rich man’s dog died, everyone commiserated. When a poor man lost his mother, no one noticed.”
—Punjabi proverb, trans. by Gurinder Singh Mann.
“The dog is mentioned in the Bible eighteen times—the cat not even once.”
—W.E. Farbstein. Quoted in “Hundkeit,” Mondo Canine, ed. Jon Winokur, Dutton (1991)