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Watford
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| Parasites These can be divided into two main categories. 1. Endoparasites: These live outside the body as opposed to on its surface. These include Toxocara canis(roundworm), Toxascaris leonina(another type of roundworm), Dipylidium caninum (tapeworm) and Toxoplasma gondii (a protozoan parasite), Hookworm, Whipworm, and Lungworm. 2. Ectoparasites: these are parasites that live on or in the skin. The major ectoparasites of dogs are fleas, lice, ticks, harvest mites, mange mites(sarcoptes scabei, demodex folliculorum, otedectes cynotis, cheyletiella specie). Ectoparasites are the main cause of skin disease in dogs. Infectious Diseases The most important infectious diseases of dogs are canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, leptospirosis(two forms), canine parvovirus infection, infectious canine tracheobronchitis(kennel cough) and Rabies. Dogs can be protected against all these diseases with vaccinations. The rabies vaccine is currently used in the UK only in newly imported dogs and dogs for export. |