Qualitative analysis of feces

Color

gray or putty, black, golden yellow/light green, red

Consistency

large, bulky, mucus

Content

streaked fibers, globules of fat, starch granules

Odor

sour, rancid

Quantitative analysis of feces

Direct smear:  apply very thin film of feces to slide, add 1-2 drops of NaCl or distilled H2O, mix with circular motion

Fecal floatation:  parasitic eggs are less dense than saturated solutions so they float to the top and are captured on the cover slip

Baerman Technique: isolates larvae from fresh feces (lungworm)

Phylum:  Nemathelminths

Class:  Nematoda

Order:  Strongylida

Superfamily:  Trichostrongyloidea

transmission:  ingestion of L3 (infective stage)

GI roundworm of ruminants

Nickname:  hairworm

Morphology: male is smaller than female;  caudal end has copulatory bursa; female has tapered tail

Morphology of ova:  stronglye type; can see blastomeres, lipid layer and shell

Life Cycle:  typically direct

Pathology:  asymptomatic unless large numbers

Genus Haemonchus sp.  (H. contortus)

Nickname:  "barber pole worm"

Host:  ruminant

Morphology of adults:  female white egg-filled uterus spirals around blood-filled gut, red worm, buccal cavity very small dorsal lancet

Pathology:  blood sucker

"stomach worm of sheep"; can be fatal in lambs

loss of plasma protein results in external manifestation of submaxillary edema (aka 'bottle jaw')

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type

Genus Ostertagia sp.

Host:  cattle

Morphology of adults:  ~14mm long, brownish, short buccal cavity; female has vulvar flap

Pathology:  blood sucker

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type;  resistant to cold.  Infective larvae undergo an arrested phase (hypobiosis) for several months 

Genus Trichostronglyus sp. 

Host:  ruminant and horse

Morphology of adults:  ~7mm long, no buccal cavity

Pathology:  causes extensive inflammation of abomasal mucosa; animal will pass black, malodorous diarrhea; known as "black scours"; asymptomatic unless 10,000-100,000 or more present

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type; can survive winter in pasture

Phylum:  Nemathelminths

Class:  Nematoda

Order:  Strongylida

Superfamily:  Strongyloidea

Genus:  Oesophagostomum

Genus:  Chabertia

Genus Oesphagostomum sp.

(O. columbianum:  sheep;

O. dentatum:  pigs)

Nickname:  "nodular worm"

Host:  ruminants and pigs

Morphology of adults:  cuticular fin or wing-like flange at base of tail

Genus Chabertia sp.

Nickname:  "large mouth bowel worm"

Host:  ruminants, especially young sheep

Morphology of adults:  13-20 mm long with large buccal cavity

Pathology:  blood sucker; causes bloody diarrhea, anemia

Morphology of ova:  stronglye type

Phyllum: Nemathelminth

Class:  Nematoda

Order:  Strongylida

Superfamily:  Strongyloidea ("Strongylids")

Genus Stronglyus (equinus, edentatus, vulgaris)

Subfamily:  Cyathostominae sp. 

Nickname:  "Bloodworm, stronglye"

Morphology of adult:  larger, stouter bodied than trichostrongyloids; stomal structures used to identify

Morphology of ova:  typical strongyle (smooth, elliptical,elongated, thin shelled and embryonated)

Life cycle:  direct, ~3 weeks

Habitat:  GI tract, predominantly large intestine

Genus Strongylus sp

Host:  primarily equine

Pathology, habitat:  blood sucking, large intestine

Morphology of adults:  large, stout with a small or large stoma opening surrounded by leaf crowns

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type

3 Largest Strongyles of horses

most destructive roundworms; pathogenic and blood suckers;

Habitat:  large intestine and cecum

Strongylus equinus:  2 subventral teeth;

can cause death due to hepatic damage

Strongylus edentas:  no teeth; direct life cycle

Strongylus vulgaris:  2 dorsal teeth;

smallest and most pathogenic; only 100 can cause death;

thromboembolic colic/aneurysm/ embolism

small strongyles for horses

subfamily:  Cyathostominae sp.

elephants, pigs, marsupials, turtles

Pathology:  migrate into mucosa; can encyst for months to years, less pathogenic

Morphology of adults:  distinct stoma, smaller bucca cavity, distinct inner and outer leaf crowns

Family:  Ancylostomatidae

Nickname:  "hookworm"

Habitat:  small intestine

Pathology:  blood sucking

Morphology of adult:  teeth, cutting plates or suction; large buccal cavity

Morphology of ova:  stronglye type with blastomeres

Hookworm ova develop very quickly into larvae (2-3 days)

Life cycle:  direct, ~3 weeks

Infection:  ingestion or skin penetration

Genus Ancylostoma

ZOONOTIC

via skin penetrations - "creeping eruptions"

only strongyle type ova in dog or cat

Hosts:  A. caninum:  dog

A. tubaeforme:  cat

A. braziliense:  dog and cat

Morphology of adult:  teeth in buccal cavity

Morphology of ova:  Ancylostoma ova and larvae are easily destroyed by freezing

Genus Globocephalus

Host:  pig

Morphology of adult:  great suction

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type

Genus Bunostomum

Host:  ruminant

Morphology of adult:  cutting plates

Morphology of ova:  strongyle type

Family:   Stephanuridae

Genus:  Stephanurus

(S. dentatus)

Nickname:  "kidney worm of swine"

Habitat:  renal and perirenal tissue, hepatic, axial musculature, spinal canal

Life cycle:  direct or indirect; intermidiate host is earthworm

Morphology of ova:  darker than most stronglye type ova;

will be seen 9-16 months after infection; persists for 3> years

Clinical signs:  posterior paralysis, liver damage > emaciation and death

Phylum:  Nemathelminth

Superfamily:  Metgastrongyloidae

Family:  Metastrongylidae

nickname:  "Lungworm"

Hosts:

Filaroides hirthi:  canine

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus:  feline

Morphology:  will see bend in tail

Dx: Baerman Technique

Family:  Protostrongylidae

Parelaphostrongylus tenuis

nickname: "Brainworm"

natural host is white tailed deer;

IH are snails and slugs

CS:  rarely seen in deer; 

affects sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas

no effective anthelmintic once larvae enter CNS

Order:  Oxyurida

Genus:  Oxyuris, Enterobius, Syphagia

nickname:  "Pinworm"

Oxyuris equi:  equine

Enterobius:  man and apes  *****ZOONOTIC

Sypahgia:  rodents

"Rat tail"  seen in horses; bare tail from scratching

Use scotch tape to gather eggs from anus and analyze under microscope; anal scraping

nickname:  "Roundworm"

largest nematodes, have three fleshy lips,

and large alae (arrowhead)

Ova:  round, thick shell, one cell inside

L2 infective stage

***ZOONOTIC and can live in soil for years

Genus:  Toxocara

T. Canis

T. cati

T. vitulorum

canine

feline

cattle

Ova are round, finely pitted with single cell inside that takes up the whole space

***ZOONOTIC

see VLM in humans and OLM

Ova is round to oval, smooth outer shell with prominent lipid layer; single cell does not take up whole space

Adult has lateral cervival alae

***ZOONOTIC

Host:  equine

Ova are round, very pitted shell, very dark

Fecal oral in foals

Host:  swine

Ova are round, very pitted, very dark (rusty colored) with

large blunt projections

CS:  milk spots on liver

thumps in lungs - forced expiration

Host:  raccoon

***ZOONOTIC

see VLM

No effective anthelmintic

Superfamily:  Filarioidea

Dirofilaria immitis

nickname:  "Heartworm"

found in dog, cat, ferret

Indirect life cycly

IH:  blood sucking insects, esp mosquito

CS:  endocarditis, CHF

PPP 6 months

Superfamily: Filarioidea

Dipetalomena reconditum

Hosts:  dog, monkey

considered non pathogenic in dog

Adults has button hook tail and progressive forward movement

Indirect life cycle

IH:  flea, tick, lice