ABSTRACT
spirometra mansonsoides Canine/feline tapeworm acquired by eating infected snakes, rodents, and other small vertebrates. PPP= As short as 10 days, and patency can be maintained for several years. Dx: Egg (60 µm long) in feces is brown, elongate, with a small operculum (or cap) on one end, containing cells of the developing larva. Egg about the size of Ancylostoma caninum egg. Adult Habitat: Small intestine. Similar Species: There are a number of species of Spirometra around the world. Egg very similar to that of Diphyllobothrium latum. Range: United States. Clinical Signs: May have diarrhea, emaciation, and/or vomiting. Clinical disease appears less common in the dog than in the cat, perhaps because dogs are less often infected. Tx: No approved drug. Some report success treating with praziquantel at 5 mg/kg, but others report the need for elevated doses. Epsiprantel (Cestex®) may also be effective. Albendazole not effective.
