Successful management of Diphylidium caninum infestation in a mongrel puppy

Abstract

A mongrel female puppy dog about 8 months of age was presented to Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu, Thanjavur on August 2017 with the history of dullness, reduced food intake, vomiting, diarrhea and scooting behavior for past 2 days. On clinical examination of dog showed all the vital parameters are found to be within the reference range and animal voided foul smelling diarrhoea along with the gravid segment. Faecal examination showed presence of Diphylidium caninum egg. The gravid segment was subjected to microscopic examination which revealed the presence of numerous D. caninum eggs in the gravid segment. The fecal samples were also subjected to polymerase chain reaction to identify parvovirus infection. The sample was negative for parvovirus. Then the dog was treated with praziquantel@5 mg/kg b.wt PO and showed uneventful recovery after treatment. On re-examination of faecal sample after a week of treatment, were found negative for all the parasitic eggs.