LATG Chapter 15. Diagnostic
Techniques
Diagnosis - answer is the determination of the nature and cause of a disease, injury, or
congenital defect
Prognosis - answeris a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease
Parasitology - answeris the study of organisms that live on or in another organism and
draw nourishment from their host
Types of Parasites - answerectoparasites and endoparasites
Where are adult endoparasites most commonly found? - answerin the intestinal tract
Dirofilaria immitis - answercanine heartworm
Where do the adult canine heartworms reside? - answerin the pulmonary artery and
right ventricle of the heart
where does larvae canine heartworms reside? - answerin the bloodstream
What can ticks transmit from their bite? - answerRickettsia
First evaluation procedure to perform on an animal suspected of having an ectoparasite
infestation - answergross visual examination
Proglottids - answerbody sections of a tapeworm
How to perform a fecal smear - answermix a very small amount of feces with a drop of
saline on a clean glass microscope slide and cover it with a coverslip
Fecal direct Smear - answerthe quickest method for identifying endoparasites but least
accurate because the sample size is so small
Ways to detect endoparasites in feces - answerfecal direct smear
fecal flotation
fecal sedimentation
Fecal Flotation - answera larger fecal specimen is collected which is mixed with a
solution in a centrifuge tube that is filled to the top with the solution. parasite eggs are
buoyant and rise to the top of the tube separating from the fecal debris. a clean
, coverslip is briefly place on top of the tube so that it touches the meniscus which is then
transferred to a clean glass microscope slide
What endoparasites cant a fecal flotation detect? - answerflukes or lungworms
Most useful technique for diagnosing flukes or lungworms - answerfecal sedimentation
Baermann technique - answeruseful for detecting lungworm larvae
How to perform a fecal sedimentation test - answera fecal sample is placed in a strainer
or wrapped in cheesecloth and immersed in lukewarm water inside a funnel
How does the funnel in fecal sedimentation help detect nematode larvae - answerthe
funnel has a stopcock at its bottom. the nematode larvae are unable to swim against
gravity, so they fall through the water to the bottom of the funnel. the stopcock is
opened to collect a small volume of water containing the larvae, and this is examined
with a microscope
Pinworm Detection - answer1. clear cellophane tape pressed to an animals perianal
area
2. a more sensitive test is PCR
3. examination of the intestinal contents during necropsy
Other methods to detect endoparasites - answer1. Sputum and urine can be examined
by the direct smear method or by centrifugation.
2. Serum and blood cells may be checked for blood-borne parasites
2 ways to detect Ectoparasites - answer1. skin and secretion sampling
2. fur sampling
Skin Sampling - answera skin scraping is performed. the animal's skin is pinched in the
affected area to elevate it, and the superficial skin layers are carefully scraped with a
razor blade. the scraped skin tissue is mixed with mineral oil and examined
microscopically
How to detect ear mites? - answera swab is inserted in the opening of an animals ear
canal to collect some waxy debris or discharge
How to take a skin sample of fish and aquatic amphibians - answera scraping of the
skin mucus is used to identify ectoparasites and surface pathogens. a scraping of the
mucus is added to a drop of tank water and examined under a coverslip
Wet mount - answera glass slide holding a specimen suspended in a drop of liquid (as
water) for microscopic examination
What is Fur sampling used for? - answerdetecting fur mites
Techniques
Diagnosis - answer is the determination of the nature and cause of a disease, injury, or
congenital defect
Prognosis - answeris a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease
Parasitology - answeris the study of organisms that live on or in another organism and
draw nourishment from their host
Types of Parasites - answerectoparasites and endoparasites
Where are adult endoparasites most commonly found? - answerin the intestinal tract
Dirofilaria immitis - answercanine heartworm
Where do the adult canine heartworms reside? - answerin the pulmonary artery and
right ventricle of the heart
where does larvae canine heartworms reside? - answerin the bloodstream
What can ticks transmit from their bite? - answerRickettsia
First evaluation procedure to perform on an animal suspected of having an ectoparasite
infestation - answergross visual examination
Proglottids - answerbody sections of a tapeworm
How to perform a fecal smear - answermix a very small amount of feces with a drop of
saline on a clean glass microscope slide and cover it with a coverslip
Fecal direct Smear - answerthe quickest method for identifying endoparasites but least
accurate because the sample size is so small
Ways to detect endoparasites in feces - answerfecal direct smear
fecal flotation
fecal sedimentation
Fecal Flotation - answera larger fecal specimen is collected which is mixed with a
solution in a centrifuge tube that is filled to the top with the solution. parasite eggs are
buoyant and rise to the top of the tube separating from the fecal debris. a clean
, coverslip is briefly place on top of the tube so that it touches the meniscus which is then
transferred to a clean glass microscope slide
What endoparasites cant a fecal flotation detect? - answerflukes or lungworms
Most useful technique for diagnosing flukes or lungworms - answerfecal sedimentation
Baermann technique - answeruseful for detecting lungworm larvae
How to perform a fecal sedimentation test - answera fecal sample is placed in a strainer
or wrapped in cheesecloth and immersed in lukewarm water inside a funnel
How does the funnel in fecal sedimentation help detect nematode larvae - answerthe
funnel has a stopcock at its bottom. the nematode larvae are unable to swim against
gravity, so they fall through the water to the bottom of the funnel. the stopcock is
opened to collect a small volume of water containing the larvae, and this is examined
with a microscope
Pinworm Detection - answer1. clear cellophane tape pressed to an animals perianal
area
2. a more sensitive test is PCR
3. examination of the intestinal contents during necropsy
Other methods to detect endoparasites - answer1. Sputum and urine can be examined
by the direct smear method or by centrifugation.
2. Serum and blood cells may be checked for blood-borne parasites
2 ways to detect Ectoparasites - answer1. skin and secretion sampling
2. fur sampling
Skin Sampling - answera skin scraping is performed. the animal's skin is pinched in the
affected area to elevate it, and the superficial skin layers are carefully scraped with a
razor blade. the scraped skin tissue is mixed with mineral oil and examined
microscopically
How to detect ear mites? - answera swab is inserted in the opening of an animals ear
canal to collect some waxy debris or discharge
How to take a skin sample of fish and aquatic amphibians - answera scraping of the
skin mucus is used to identify ectoparasites and surface pathogens. a scraping of the
mucus is added to a drop of tank water and examined under a coverslip
Wet mount - answera glass slide holding a specimen suspended in a drop of liquid (as
water) for microscopic examination
What is Fur sampling used for? - answerdetecting fur mites
