156 ANIMAL PARASITES IN THE STOMACH 



stipation, icterus and eventually anemia). In horses colic 

 may be caused by them. In sheep they induce chronic 

 bowel catarrh, anemia, and often fatal cachexia. In rare 

 instances a perforative peritonitis may be due to tapeworms. 



Diagnosis. — ^Teniasis can be diagnosed positively only 

 by an examination of the feces in which will be found the 

 segments or eggs of the tapeworm. In sheep a diagnosis 

 may be made by a necropsy. 



Treatment. — In horses the most valuable tapeworm agent 

 is tartar emetic (5ss) daily for three or four days. Turpen- 

 tine (5j to ij) is a good teniafuge. It should be given in 

 milk or oil to prevent blistering the mouth or throat. 



In lambs picrate of potash (grs. ij to vi), kousso (grs. ij to 

 iij) or male fern (5j) are recommended. Teniafuges should 

 be given on an empty stomach and followed in twelve to 

 twenty hours by a good purge. Treatment is successful only 

 when the head of the tapeworm is also removed. 



Prevention. — In dealing with an enzootic of teniasis it is 

 advisable to give the animals plenty of good, nutritive 

 food and excellent care. Sometimes these alone are all 

 that is necessary. Obviously, cysts and tapeworms should 

 be destroyed as a preventive measure. 



Round Worms (Ascarides). — ^The ascarides or round 

 worms resemble earth worms somewhat in form. The life- 

 cycle of these parasites has not yet been fully determined. 

 Unlike the tapeworms they do not seem to require an inter- 

 mediate host. The transmission to susceptible animals 

 occurs through the ingestion of fecal matter containing the 

 eggs and not through drinking water. Milk, however, can 

 become contaminated and therefore very young animals 

 are infested. The development of the embryo from the egg 

 is very rapid. For instance, the egg of the Ascaris megalo- 

 cephala of the horse will develop a complete embryo in 

 three days. The following are the varieties of ascarides: 

 Horse: Ascaris megalocephala. 

 Ox and Swine: Ascaris lumbricoides. 



Symptoms. — In most cases round worms produce no 

 symptoms. Occasionally, however, if large numbers of 

 them are present in the intestines, they will produce symp- 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



