Parasites and Parasitic Diseases of Dogs 



27 



^s0«?; 



Fig. 29. — Sheep muscle showing 2 bladderworms, 

 Cysticercus dvis. Actual size. From Hali, 1921, 

 after Ransom, 1913 



The male is about four-fifths inch (18 to 20 millimeters) long, and 

 the female is about 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters) long. The 

 eggs (fig. 31) from the female worms in the nostrils of the dog 

 pass out in mucus when the dog sneezes or are swallowed and pass 

 out in the feces. AYhen these eggs are swallowed by suitable host 

 animals in eating contaminated vegetation, as by herbivores in 

 grazing, the eggs hatch and 

 the larvse make their way, 

 as a rule, to the liver, lungs, 

 and lymph glands and 

 there develop to the infec- 

 tive stage. In the United 

 States these larval tongue- 

 worms are fairly common 

 in cattle in the South; in 

 Europe sheep are the most 

 common intermediate hosts. 

 In view of the fact that 

 the larvae may also occur 

 in man, and that the adult 

 is reported from man in 

 one case, this parasite must 

 be looked on as dangerous. 

 Up to the present time it 

 has been found in the dog 

 only in Georgia, but it un- 

 doulDtedlj^ has a much wider distribution in this country, as the 

 presence of the larvae in cattle shows, and failure to find it is largely 

 due to failure to look for it. 



Symptoms. — Dogs infested with tongueworms may show no symp- 

 toms or may have sudden attacks of sneezing, coming on when the 

 dogs are active for any reason. There is often loud snoring, some- 

 times with almost 

 complete stoppage 

 of breathing. The 

 animal may rub 

 its nose with its 

 paws as if to re- 

 move some obsta- 

 cle. It is inter- 

 esting to note that 

 tongueworms have 

 been found in dogs 

 affected with what 



have been called 

 "running fits" or "fright disease," a condition not yet very well 

 understood. The same condition has been noted in dogs heavily 

 infested with hookr^ orms, and relief reported after successful treat- 

 ment for hookworms. What relation these parasites or others might 

 have to " running fits " is not known. 



^ Treatment. — No satisfactory treatment appears to have been estab- 

 lished. Unless the parasites could be removed by the injection of 

 some suitable substance into the nostrils, treatment would appear 

 to be surgical. In default of successful treatment, dogs known to 



Fig. 30. — The tongueworm, Linguatula serrata. Upper figure, 

 entire animal. Lower left-hand figure, head. Lower right- 

 hand figure, female tail, showing uterovagina (dotted) and 

 intestine. Enlarged. From Sambon, 1922 



