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Whipworms
comprise
a group of about 60 species that infect mammals. They get their name from
their characteristic shape.
Trichuris vulpis
is the whipworm that infects dogs, foxes and, rarely,
cats. T. vulpis has occasionally been found to infect humans.
Whipworm
infection is not common in dogs but if not caught early it can become a
serious problem.
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Life cycle of Whipworms
Whipworms
have a direct life cycle,
which means that no other animal is involved as a host.
An infected
animal passes the eggs in the feces. It takes approximately
one month
for the infective larvae to develop
in the eggs.
The larva is
ingested by another animal (usually a dog). The larvae hatch and burrow into
the wall of the lower small intestine (jejunum and ileum). The larvae go
through four molts (growth stages) over the course of about 3 months, until
they become mature adults capable of reproducing.
During this
time they move down to the large intestine (cecum and colon). Here they
attach to the wall by their thread-like heads, leaving their thicker bodies
extending into the intestinal space.
Each female
worm can produce
over
10,000 eggs each day
of her life, and she can live for several years!
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How does your pet
get Whipworms? |
Pets become infected by ingesting
infective larvae that have developed in the feces of an infected dog or fox.
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Why are Whipworms
bad for your pet?
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Both larval (immature) and adult
whipworms cause disease by burrowing into the digestive tract, causing
irritation, and by ingesting blood. Clinical signs can range from absent to
weight loss and severe, mucoid diarrhea with blood. Anemia can occur in
severely infected dogs.
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How do you know if your pet has Whipworms?
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As noted above, a mild infection may
produce no signs of illness. However, as your pet continues to pass whipworm
eggs into the environment, and ingest infective larvae, the number worms in
the intestinal tract will increase. Your pet may have intermittent bouts of
diarrhea, a picky appetite and weight loss.
The adult Whipworms range from 45 to
75 mm in length, so you will not see them in your pet’s stool. The eggs are
microscopic. The best way to find out if your pet is infected is by routine
fecal examinations. |
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How do we Diagnose Whipworms?
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When you drop off a specimen of your
pet’s feces, our technicians take a small portion (about 1/2 teaspoon) and
mix it thoroughly with a concentrated solution of a special salt. The
mixture is then left to sit for 15 minutes in our vented laboratory hood.
The eggs of the whipworms are lighter than the salt solution, so they float
to the top of the small container and stick to a glass cover slip that is
placed across the top of the fluid. The technician then places the cover
slip onto a microscope slide and examines it under the microscope for eggs.
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How do we treat Whipworms?
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There are several medications that
are effective against adult whipworms in the intestinal tract, but none that
will eliminate the larval (immature) forms. Successful treatment requires
medicating your pet three times, to eradicate new adults as they mature. The
first dose is given at the time of diagnosis, followed by a second, three
weeks later, and a third, 3 months later. Fecal rechecks will ensure that
our treatment and prevention programs are working well.
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Prevention and Control of Whipworms |
Good sanitation is essential to the
prevention and control of whipworm infection in our pets. The primary goal
is to prevent the pet from ingesting infective whipworm eggs.
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Important Points:
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Whipworm eggs
are not immediately infective; they have to sit out on the ground for
about a month.
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Whipworm eggs
in soil can last for
years.
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Whipworm eggs
are vulnerable to drying.
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To Prevent Infection:
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On your
property—Remove and properly dispose of feces daily.
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Outdoor dogs
should be kept on an easily cleaned surface such as cement.
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On a
walk—Keep your dog on a leash to prevent sniffing and eating of old fecal
material on the ground.
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To Eliminate Infection:
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Follow our
instructions for all three parts of the treatment program.
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Clean up (as
much as possible) all fecal material from your pet’s environment.
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Apply a
drying agent such as lime to the affected areas to desiccate any remaining
eggs.
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Continue to
remove feces daily.
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Comply with
fecal recheck reminders to ensure that your pet is free of this and other
intestinal parasites.
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