This Week in Parasitism TWiP 273: Intestinal parasites in dogs
Feb 6, 2026
They dig into intestinal parasites in dogs and how co-infections might shape disease. Discussion covers Leishmania transmission, clinical signs, and immune responses. Epidemiology in Brazil, reservoir dynamics, and implications for control come up. Practical topics include diagnosis, treatment, deworming, and zoonotic risks.
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New Puppy Prompted Parasite Review
- Christina Naula unexpectedly brought a puppy home and that prompted her to research companion animal parasites.
- She noted puppies require deworming starting at 4 weeks and repeated at 6, 8, 12 weeks then regularly throughout life.
Vector, Not Kissing, Drives Leishmania Spread
- Leishmania is transmitted by sand flies, not by direct dog-to-human contact, making dogs and humans both victims of the vector.
- Sand flies pick up parasites from infected skin and can transmit back to humans or dogs, so skin parasite load matters for transmission.
Dogs Can Be Long-Term Reservoirs For Transmission
- Dogs with heavy skin parasite loads can act as super‑spreaders to sand flies, similar to some humans with cutaneous lesions.
- Even treated dogs can remain infectious because drugs often achieve clinical but not parasitological cure.