Page 1850 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

Sparganosis, Proliferative 928.e3

remove as many spargana as possible. Any PROGNOSIS & OUTCOME Client Education
remaining spargana will continue to divide The prognosis for dogs treated for proliferative Dogs and cats should never be allowed to roam
VetBooks.ir animal survives. Due to the small size of the sparganosis is guarded to poor. The prognosis water or ingestion of infected intermediate Diseases and Disorders
longitudinally and replicate as long as the
freely, thereby avoiding contact with infested
spargana, it is virtually impossible to remove
for intestinal tapeworms is excellent.
hosts or carrion.
them entirely from the parasitized host.
• Mebendazole 20 mg/kg PO q 24h for 3 PEARLS & CONSIDERATIONS SUGGESTED READING
weeks, followed by praziquantel 5 mg/kg Drake DA, et al: Proliferative sparganosis in a dog. J
PO q 24h for another 3 weeks, has been Comments Am Vet Med Assoc 233:1756-1760, 2008.
used. These two drugs were alternated over Because this larval cestode is rare, it is quite
a period of 3 months. difficult to diagnose. A pathologist or parasitolo- ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED
gist at a veterinary diagnostic laboratory may READINGS
Chronic Treatment be called on to assist in the definitive diagnosis.
• Secondary bacterial infection Beveridge I, et al: Proliferative sparganosis in Austra-
lian dogs. Aust Vet J 76:757-759, 1998.
• Cellulitis Prevention Buergelt CD, et al: Proliferative sparganosis in a cat.
• Culture and sensitivity of lesion, with appro- Prevent dogs and cats from roaming and coming J Parasitol 70:121-125, 1984.
priate antimicrobial therapy for secondary into contact with freshwater aquatic environ- Mueller JF: The biology of Spirometra. J Parasitol
bacterial infection ments (large stationary or slow-moving bodies 60:3-14, 1974.
of water) inhabited by aquatic crustaceans.
Possible Complications Prevent predation or scavenging of intermediate RELATED CLIENT EDUCATION
Because spargana are capable of asexual replica- or transport hosts. SHEETS
tion, if one parasite remains in situ, it is possible
for proliferative sparganosis to recur through Technician Tips Consent to Perform Abdominocentesis
exponential growth. The importance of proper sample submission Consent to Perform Thoracocentesis
cannot be overemphasized. Biopsy specimens
Recommended Monitoring must be submitted in 10% formalin. AUTHOR: Charles M. Hendrix, DVM, PhD
Thoracocentesis or abdominocentesis along with EDITOR: Joseph Taboada, DVM, DACVIM
gross exam of collected specimens if effusions
recur

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