Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival rates and symptoms in dogs with peritoneal larval cestodiasis
By Boyce, Walter et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2011·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survival analysis of dogs diagnosed with canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis (Mesocestoides spp.).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 60 dogs diagnosed with a serious tapeworm infection called canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis (CPLC) showed various symptoms, including fluid buildup in the abdomen, loss of appetite, vomiting, and breathing problems. The study found that dogs receiving aggressive treatment, which included surgery and high doses of a medication called fenbendazole, had a much better chance of survival. After six months, about 72% of the treated dogs were still alive, and after a year, around 60% survived. In contrast, dogs that did not receive aggressive treatment were over five times more likely to die.
People also search for: dog tapeworm infection symptoms · canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis treatment · fenbendazole for dogs
Abstract
Canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis (CPLC) is a poorly understood disease of dogs caused by asexual multiplication of larval Mesocestoides spp. tapeworms. In this study, we examined the descriptive statistics and survival characteristics of 60 dogs diagnosed with CPLC from 1989 to 2009. Clinically affected dogs presented with ascites (60%), anorexia/weight loss (42%), vomiting (23%), diarrhea (9%) and tachypnea (9%), while subclinical infections (22%) were incidentally detected, typically during ovariohysterectomy or neuter. Survival at 6 months and 1 year post-diagnosis were 72.3% and 60.5%, respectively, and survival was not affected by sex or age. Using Cox proportional hazard analyses, we determined that the most significant factors influencing survival were the severity of clinical signs at the time of diagnosis and application of an aggressive treatment strategy after diagnosis. Dogs that were not treated aggressively were >5 times more likely to die than dogs that were treated with a combination of surgery/lavage and high doses of fenbendazole.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21497443/