Flea control in flea allergic dogs and cats

Marie-Christine Cadiergues
EJCAP - Vol. 19 - Issue 3 
December 2009

Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) remains the most common allergic skin disease of dogs and cats, although its frequency varies according to geographical location. Despite the availability of safe, effective products, treating FAD remains a challenge. This challenge should be more readily overcome once both practitioner and owner(s) are entirely convinced of the diagnosis. The main diffi culties and pitfalls facing the practitioner are described. Treatment requires appropriate knowledge of the fl ea life cycle and fl ea-related biology, and understanding of the mode of action of the relevant fl ea control products. An integrated approach to treatment should be adopted, involving all the players in the fl ea life cycle - the FAD patient, all in-contact pets, and the environment. Each case must be customised, with effective fl ea control products used in combination with cleaning measures such as steaming, vacuuming and regular grooming.

Update on the diagnosis and management of Giardia spp infections in dogs and cats

Sahatchai Tangtrongsup, DVM, MSc, and
Valeria Scorza, DVM, PhD
Topics in Companion Animal Medicine
Volume 25, Number 3
August 2010.

Giardia spp are flagellates that are found in the intestinal tract of humans and domestic and wildlife animals, including birds and amphibians, worldwide. The genus Giardia contains multiple species, which are for the most part morphologically indistinguishable. Recognized species of this genus are G. duodenalis, G. agilis, G. muris, G. microti, G. ardeae, and G. psittaci. Giardia duodenalis (syn. G. intestinalis or G. lamblia) is the species that infects people, dogs, and cats and is considered a species complex

Update on the diagnosis and management of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats.

Michael R. Lappin DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Topics in Companion Animal Medicine
Volume 25, Issue 3, August 2010, Pages 136-141

Toxoplasma gondii is a coccidian that is one of the most prevalent parasites infecting warm-blooded vertebrates around the world.1-3 Only cats complete the sexual phase in the gastrointestinal tract and pass environmentally resistant oocysts in feces. Sporozoites develop in oocysts after 1 to 5 days of exposure to oxygen and appropriate environmental temperature and humidity (Fig 1). Sporozoites can penetrate the intestinal tract of cats or intermediate hosts and disseminate in blood or lymph as tachyzoites during active infection. Toxoplasma gondii can penetrate most mammalian cells and will replicate asexually within infected cells until the cell is destroyed. If an appropriate immune response occurs, replication of tachyzoites is attenuated, and slowly dividing bradyzoites develop that persist within cysts in extra-intestinal tissues. Tissue cysts form readily in the central nervous system (CNS), muscles, and visceral organs. Live bradyzoites may persist in tissues for the life of the host.