The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, has expanded its services to help pet owners identify and treat common springtime parasites like ticks and heartworms that become more prevalent as temperatures warm.
“Like plants and flowers coming out of a dormant wintertime state, parasites also become more active as the weather warms,” said Mindy Borst, TVMDL clinical pathology assistant section head.
Pet owners should be aware these parasites can cause significant harm, including stunted or delayed growth, temporary or permanent injuries and, in extreme cases, death.
Parasite identification
While veterinarians can sometimes identify parasites without magnification or by examining fecal samples under a microscope to look for characteristic shapes, sizes and patterns, that is not always the case. Certain parasite species might not be easy to determine and require specialized expertise.
TVMDL launched a new digital parasitology service for veterinarians, whose typical daily caseload may range between 30-60 patients and include taking time to rule out several options on each case.
The new digital parasitology service allows veterinarians to submit an image of a suspected fecal parasite to the lab for identification. This new resource, paired with other diagnostic services offered at TVMDL, helps veterinarians maximize efficiency with quick and accurate results.
Ectoparasites
Ectoparasites like mosquitoes, ticks and fleas are the most familiar parasites because they reside externally and can be easily seen. These parasites linger on or burrow within the skin of a host, usually feeding on surface skin debris or blood.
The primary concern is their potential to transmit diseases and secondary parasites, Borst said.
“Usually, when mosquitoes, ticks and fleas are in small numbers, a blood meal is not a big deal,” she said. “The problem is the potential diseases they can carry and transmit.”
Ticks carry the potential to transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Fever, whereas fleas can transmit plague, cat scratch disease and tapeworms. In addition to being nuisances, mosquitos can transmit West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis and heartworm disease.
Endoparasites
Endoparasites live unseen inside their host’s body, specifically in organs, tissues or the bloodstream. Due to their location and size, endoparasites can be more difficult to identify, which makes digital parasitology incredibly helpful to veterinarians.
Common endoparasites include intestinal worms such as roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms, and protozoa such as giardia and coccidia. These insidious parasites are usually transmitted through contaminated food, water, feces or ectoparasite vectors like fleas. Heartworms are a common parasite of the circulatory system and are transmitted by mosquitos.
These parasites inhabit the animal, usually without showing immediate symptoms, and can cause several health issues ranging from digestive disturbances to critical organ damage or failure.
“The key difference between ectoparasites and endoparasites is that ectoparasites are easier for us to see with the naked eye,” Borst said. “We can see them on the body, hair and skin, making it easier for veterinarians to educate owners and provide proper treatments and care before major issues persist.
“We can’t see endoparasites or the harm they are causing, especially gastrointestinal ones where adults live within the intestines. Screening tools such as fecal floats are needed for gastrointestinal parasites because we want to treat our patients before they become so sick it’s irreversible.”
Digital diagnostics
Traditionally, intestinal endoparasite identification relies on fecal flotations or a McMaster egg per gram test performed in a clinic. These methods help identify most intestinal parasites, but in instances of uncommon parasites or when veterinarians may require a second opinion, TVMDL’s digital parasitology service can be utilized.
After preparing a fecal sample on a glass slide and placing it under a microscope, veterinarians can use their smartphone to snap a picture through the microscope’s eyepiece and submit the image to TVMDL. Image submission is a convenient alternative to shipping samples to the lab for parasite identification and lends to quicker results.
If submissions are received during business hours, a formal report of the image findings is typically available within 24 hours. If a conclusive interpretation cannot be determined with the submitted images, clients may submit feces for follow-up testing at no additional cost.
TVMDL’s specially trained microscopists evaluating sample images allow veterinary clients to maintain high productivity and keep their patients at the center of their focus.
“We want to help veterinarians find an answer quickly and make their job easier,” Borst said. “They have to know so much information and sometimes might not have time to figure out exactly what they’re dealing with. TVMDL has very specialized people to do that for them.”
For more information about digital parasitology or TVMDL’s testing options, visit https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/ or call the College Station laboratory at 888-646-5623.
