Stephen C. Barr, BVSc, MVS, PhD, DACVIM

Giardia, cryptosporidia, and tritrichomonas.

Sandfly vectors (not in US) transmit flagellated parasites into the skin of a host, where it often localizes in the cat. In dogs, there is invariably spread of the parasite throughout the body to most organs, although renal failure is the most common cause of death.

Parasites are minor cause of nasal disease in dogs and cats. However, they should be added to a differential diagnosis list of nasal disease. This review will discuss the biology, diagnosis, disease, and treatment of these parasites, and discuss the differential diagnosis, and the methodology for treating at least one differential diagnosis, that of nasal aspergillosis in dogs and cats.

Tick-borne diseases of dogs and cats causing vasculitis leading to multisystemic dysfunction often characterized by thrombocytopenia and hyperglobulinemia.

Protozoal disease (genus: Babesia) of dogs and cats where merozoites (piroplasms) infect RBCs.

Parasites are major causes of respiratory tract disease in the dog and cat. Recent advances in therapy of these diseases have been made providing the practicing veterinarian with a more rational treatment modality. This review will discuss the biology, diagnosis, disease, and treatment of respiratory parasites (protozoan, nematode, trematode, and arthropods) of the dog and cat emphasizing chemotherapeutics.

Infection occurs when infected feces of a vector (Triatomin?, commonly called kissing or assassin bugs) are deposited in a wound (bite site of vector) or mucous membrane, or when a dog eats an infected vector (shown to occur in opossums and raccoons). Raccoons fed infected meat do not get infected so dogs probably not infected by eating meat from intermediate hosts in which the organism is sequestered in muscle. Transmission by contaminated blood transfusion also occurs.

Filarial nematode infection of dogs and cats – Dirofilaria immitis – adults (female worms up to 30 cm in length) live in pulmonary arteries causing respiratory, cardiac, and in some cases, renal disease.

This flagellated protozoan parasite is found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including man.

The parvoviruses are small nonenveloped single stranded DNA virus. Three are known to infect dogs.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a saprophytic round yeast-like fungus with the ability to form a heteropolysaccharide capsule in tissues.

In the USA, caused by spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi – it is the most common tick-transmitted zoonotic diseases in North America.

This systemic bacterial infection of dogs (and very rarely, cats) causes mainly acute nephritis and hepatitis, vasculitis, and chronic carrier states.

This disease is caused by the zoonotic hemoflagellate protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.

Parasites are major causes of respiratory tract disease in the dog and cat. Recent advances in therapy of these diseases have been made providing the practicing veterinarian with a more rational treatment modality.

Filarial nematode infection of dogs and cats – Dirofilaria immitis – adults (female worms up to 30 cm in length) live in pulmonary arteries causing respiratory, cardiac, and in some cases, renal disease.

These tick-borne diseases of dogs and cats cause vasculitis leading to multisystemic dysfunction often characterized by thrombocytopenia and hyperglobulinemia.

Dr. Stephen C. Barr examines this parasitic disease and its public health concerns.

Dr. Stephen C. Barr offers testing and interpretation tips that help in identifying leptospirosis in dogs.

"Early feeding through a nasogastric tube is definitely something that I advocate for parvo cases, as long as you can control emesis."