You may have heard the term ‘parasite’ mentioned before, but knowing what they are and how detrimental they can be to animals is something different altogether. In this guide, we will take you through: what is a parasite, some of the most common types and how they can affect animals – both domestic and working.
What Do Parasites Do?
Parasites are organisms that live on, or in, another living thing (a host), feeding on them while they are still alive. While the parasite can get all it needs from the host, unfortunately for the host animal, having a parasite does not benefit them in any way. In some extreme circumstances, some parasites can eventually cause their host to die if untreated.
Types of Parasites
Some common parasites include:
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are flat, intestinal parasites that live in the gut of mammals. It’s common for animals to accidentally ingest animals via an intermediate host, such as a mite or flea.
What Do Tapeworms Do?
Some small tapeworms may not cause any immediate distress. However, larger infestations can cause discomfort for infected animals, along with obstruction, weight loss and diarrhoea.
How to Get Rid of Tapeworms
Managing worms is an important part of maintaining any animal’s health and welfare. It’s essential to monitor and control parasites such as tapeworms, but treatments should only be used when necessary to avoid anthelmintic resistance. Regular health checks and good management practices help reduce parasite burdens naturally. For working animals that play a vital role in livelihoods, maintaining this balance supports both their well-being and productivity.
Getting rid of tapeworms in animals is possible, but the approach should depend on the parasite’s life cycle and the animal’s condition. Veterinary guidance is key to deciding when treatment is required. If wormers are used, the correct dose must be given according to the animal’s weight to ensure effectiveness. Maintaining a small population of non-harmful worms (refugia) can also help prevent resistance from developing.
Lice
Lice are small parasitic insects that live under larger animals’ fur or hair, laying eggs and feeding on their skin. They move and spread between animals when they come into close contact with each other.
What Do Lice Do?
Animals affected by lice will experience extreme itching. The irritation can sometimes be so severe that animals can injure themselves from scratching.
How to Get Rid of Lice
Controlling lice can be challenging especially when multiple animals are kept in the same area. But it should be done as soon as possible to prevent any sores caused by intense itching.
Most cases of lice can be treated with antiparasitic drugs. Clipping and bathing can also be helpful in combination with this.
Lungworm
As the name suggests, lungworm is a parasite that affects the lungs in donkeys and other equines. It is a more common parasite on wet grazing ground. Ingested larvae penetrate the intestine wall and migrate to the lungs, where they develop into adults. A lungworms life cycle will last 2-3 months, and in that time, they’ll grow up to 8cm.
What Do Lungworms Do?
When present in animals, lungworm can cause breathing difficulties and loss of appetite, while more severe infections can also block airways, resulting in a fatality. Symptoms vary amongst working animals. For example, horses will often develop a cough or a runny nose. Whereas, donkeys can be completely symptomless
How to Get Rid of Lungworm
Lungworm larvae can live in the ground for a considerable amount of time, so pasture management such as poo-picking and cross-grazing can both help reduce the spread and infection. If an animal is diagnosed with lungworm, it can be treated with an antiparasitic medication.
How can Parasites be Prevented?
Managing the environment is crucial to helping reduce the risk of parasites spreading and thriving within animals.
Most working animals will serve as hosts to a parasite within their lifetime. Although there is always the option to treat the infection, you still need to manage the environment in which the animal lives to help reduce the chances of initial infection.
Environment Control
- Reduce the number of animals kept together: Minimising the density of animals in the same space can help reduce the amount of contamination within paddocks.
- Rotate or move paddocks: Rotating or completely moving paddocks helps let the land rest and breaks the lifecycle of some parasites.
- Cross-graze other animals: Grazing sheep or cattle in the same land can help slow down the spread of any parasitic larvae.
- Keep track of any treatments that you may use on animals: As with people and antibiotics, some parasites can develop an immunity to certain treatments, such as worming. Working animals should only be dewormed when necessary to prevent resistance.
- Clean up and remove poo from fields at least twice a week: Not only does this reduce contamination in fields and paddocks, but it also interrupts the lifecycle of parasites such as worms.
How Does SPANA Help Prevent and Treat Parasites?
At SPANA, we know that even the most treatable infections can be fatal for working animals without proper care. Our vets are a lifeline for many working animals. Each year, we administer hundreds of thousands of vital veterinary treatments from our fixed and mobile clinics worldwide – but this is only a fraction of the need.
Like many animal charities, we rely on only your donations to continue providing care and assistance. Please donate to our appeal today to help working animals suffering from the agony of parasites. Thank you so much for your support.