Prey Model Vs Hydatid Disease

[bark]

I already feed raw and am considering a prey model diet but am concerned about hydatids with the offal. For those feeding raw offal have you had any issues?

[oakway]

It can be an offense against the law to feed offal in some states.

Yes by feeding internal organs you may risk Hydatids.

To get Hydatids it must go through the the host, the dog. You can not contact it any other way.

Do not be fooled by persons say you may feed it if it has passed for human consumption, as it is not fatal to humans unless it passes through the dog first.

If you wish you may eat the cysts on toast for breakfast they will not hurt you.

Again it must pass through the host to harm you.

[Erny]

With liver (for example) I freeze for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. Defrost to use and this takes care of the nasties. I was told that by more than a couple of professional people. I can't remember whom, but I think one was a naturopath and 1 was a vet.

[Jumabaar]

Was just learning about this

You can freeze for 2 weeks at minus 20 degrees

Feed cooked meat (kinda defeats raw though)

And worm your dog with praziquantel every 6 weeks if you are worried and keep it up

[Nekhbet]

I always freeze the bunnies for at least a couple of weeks before feeding.

Saying that you should be worming your dogs anyway with something that does Hydatids

[poodlefan]

Feed only offal passed by inspection for human consumption.

Worm your dog regularly.

I've never heard of anyone having issues if they follow this advice.

[oakway]

Feed only offal passed by inspection for human consumption.

Worm your dog regularly.

I've never heard of anyone having issues if they follow this advice.

poodlefan not having a got at you in any way what so ever.

It will not make the slightest bit of difference even if the meat is passed for human consumption.

The cysts are still there they can not harm you, they MUST first travel through the host, the dog before you can catch it.

It comes from the dry feces.

[poodlefan]

Feed only offal passed by inspection for human consumption.

Worm your dog regularly.

I've never heard of anyone having issues if they follow this advice.

poodlefan not having a got at you in any way what so ever.

It will not make the slightest bit of difference even if the meat is passed for human consumption.

The cysts are still there they can not harm you, they MUST first travel through the host, the dog before you can catch it.

It comes from the dry feces.

My understanding Oakway is that any offal deemed likely to be infected with cysts doesn't pass inspection. It lowers the risk but doesn't remove it entirely - hence the requirement for an effective worming regime.

[oakway]

Yes it does help but some cysts are microscopic and can not be detected.

I just don't think it is worth the risk.

Heat will kill the cyst. It must be cooked at a very high temperature.

Pressure cooking was recommended years ago. Microwave has been said to kill it to if cut into thin strips.

I have never heard of the freezing ever.

The only way I know of this is because I was helping with Hydatids eradication programme many years ago in Tasmania.

[Staranais]

Yup Oakway is technically right to my knowledge, the chances of a dog catching hydatids (Echinococcus) from meat that has been passed for human consumption is low, but it is still possible since the cysts are very small when they first start to develop.

Over here it's still illegal to feed ruminant liver or lungs to dogs unless boiled for 30 minutes. It's also illegal to feel any sheep or goat meat unless it is either cooked thoroughly or frozen at -7c for a week.

I'm not sure if freezing offal would kill the hydatids cyst or not, but it would not be legal here anyway. Not sure about the situation in Aussie.

Dosing the dog for tapeworms every 6 weeks with Praziquantel/Drontal or similar will also help prevent hydatids.

These two precautions help prevent the spread of sheep measles as well as hydatids, so pretty important if you ever take your dog onto a sheep farm. The farmer will get pretty cranky if it turns out your dog has introduced sheep measles onto his farm.

[oakway]

Yup Oakway is technically right to my knowledge, the chances of a dog catching hydatids (Echinococcus) from meat that has been passed for human consumption is low, but it is still possible since the cysts are very small when they first start to develop.

Over here it's still illegal to feed ruminant liver or lungs to dogs unless boiled for 30 minutes. It's also illegal to feel any sheep or goat meat unless it is either cooked thoroughly or frozen at -7c for a week.

I'm not sure if freezing offal would kill the hydatids cyst or not, but it would not be legal here anyway. Not sure about the situation in Aussie.

Dosing the dog for tapeworms every 6 weeks with Praziquantel/Drontal or similar will also help prevent hydatids.

These two precautions help prevent the spread of sheep measles as well as hydatids, so pretty important if you ever take your dog onto a sheep farm. The farmer will get pretty cranky if it turns out your dog has introduced sheep measles onto his farm.

Ilegal in Tasmania to.

[Diva]

My understanding is that rabbits do not act as an intermediary host for Echinococcus.

Does anyone know differently?

[bark]

thanks everyone for your great advice

[Staranais]

My understanding is that rabbits do not act as an intermediary host for Echinococcus.

Does anyone know differently?

My understanding is that they can, they have found rabbits with E. granulosum cysts in before, but it's not a common intermediate host (at least in NZ or Aussie).

[Diva]

My understanding is that they can, they have found rabbits with E. granulosum cysts in before, but it's not a common intermediate host (at least in NZ or Aussie).

Thanks!

[Moselle]

Feed only offal passed by inspection for human consumption.

Worm your dog regularly.

I've never heard of anyone having issues if they follow this advice.

poodlefan not having a got at you in any way what so ever.

It will not make the slightest bit of difference even if the meat is passed for human consumption.

The cysts are still there they can not harm you, they MUST first travel through the host, the dog before you can catch it.

It comes from the dry feces.

I think you may have gotten wrong, oakway. It is very possible to ingest larvae cysts in meat or muscle tissue, it doesn't have to "travel through a host, i.e. dog".... When an animal has a tapeworm infection, it has tapeworm larvae in its muscle tissue. If you eat raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal, you ingest the larvae, which then develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines.

[oakway]

Feed only offal passed by inspection for human consumption.

Worm your dog regularly.

I've never heard of anyone having issues if they follow this advice.

poodlefan not having a got at you in any way what so ever.

It will not make the slightest bit of difference even if the meat is passed for human consumption.

The cysts are still there they can not harm you, they MUST first travel through the host, the dog before you can catch it.

It comes from the dry feces.

I think you may have gotten wrong, oakway. It is very possible to ingest larvae cysts in meat or muscle tissue, it doesn't have to "travel through a host, i.e. dog".... When an animal has a tapeworm infection, it has tapeworm larvae in its muscle tissue. If you eat raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal, you ingest the larvae, which then develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines.

Sorry we are not discussing tape worm we are discussing Hydatis Cysts.

Hydatids MUST travel through the the dog first for you to catch it.

It is caught through the drying faces of the dog.

Do you mean tapeworm after it has entered the dog.

Edited October 20, 2010 by oakway

[oakway]

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Hydatids - A Disease of Dogs that Affects People

Note Number: AG1166

Published: November 2004

Updated: April 2009

The hydatid tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosis) is one of seven tapeworms known to infect dogs in Australia. The lifecycle of this parasite can involve a number of animals, including humans, but the most important species involved are sheep, kangaroos and dogs. Hydatid disease is diagnosed in tens of humans every year.

The hydatid tapewormThe hydatid tapeworm lifecycle requires two host animals for its survival.

•Hydatids occur as a small tapeworm in the intestine of dogs or dingoes and to a lesser extent in foxes. These are known as definitive hosts.

•Hydatids also occur as watery cysts in the soft tissues of sheep, cattle, pigs, kangaroos, wallabies and occasionally man. These are known as intermediate hosts. Rabbits do not act as intermediate hosts for true hydatids (Echinococcus granulosis). In humans, hydatid cysts can cause serious illness and even death.

The hydatid tapeworm in dogs is only about 6mm long, and consists of very small segments. The last segment carries the mature tapeworm eggs. Heavily infested dogs or dingoes may pass many millions of eggs in their faeces each year. One dingo caught near Mt Buller had 108,000 hydatid tape worms throughout its intestines but was otherwise healthy.

Hydatids in dogs/dingoes/foxes (definitive hosts)Hydatid tapeworms develop when the dog consumes hydatid cysts in the offal (internal organs) of sheep, cattle, kangaroos and pigs. Dogs (particularly wild dogs) have been found to carry thousands of hydatid tapeworms in their intestines, yet there is rarely any sign of disease. Large, white tapeworm segments, often seen in the faeces of dogs, indicates the presence of other species of tapeworm, not the hydatid worm. The tiny hydatid tapeworm can live for up to two years in a dog. It is considered the most important tapeworm of dogs, not because of disease they may cause in the definitive host, but because of the disease that may be caused in the intermediate hosts, particularly humans.

Hydatids in sheep, cattle and kangaroos (intermediate hosts)Grazing animals become infected when they swallow eggs from contaminated pasture. When hydatid eggs are swallowed by an intermediate host (sheep, cattle, kangaroos or humans), they migrate through the stomach wall into the bloodstream. They are then carried to various internal organs, usually the liver and lungs, but sometimes the brain. A watery hydatid cyst then forms in these soft tissues.

In cattle, approximately 10% of hydatid cysts are viable, and these cysts usually die within a few months. In sheep and kangaroos however, most cysts are viable and continue to grow throughout the life of the animal. Older sheep in particular may have very large cysts. Cysts contain many capsules, with each capsule containing up to 40 hydatid heads. Each head is capable of developing into an adult tapeworm in the intestine of a dog.

Sheep and kangaroos therefore act as the most important source of infestation for dogs, however the effect on the sheep or kangaroo themselves is minimal; few noticeable signs of infection will be seen in sheep or kangaroos with hydatid cysts.

Hydatids in humansPeople become infected with hydatids by swallowing the microscopic hydatid eggs, passed by adult tapeworms in the intestine of the dog. Humans do not become infected with hydatids by eating sheep or kangaroo offal contaminated with the hydatid cysts. Human infection most commonly occurs when infested dogs are handled, because the sticky hydatid eggs are present on the dogs coat. Infection is also possible from eating home-grown raw vegetables, contaminated with the faeces of an infected dog.

The effect of hydatid infection in humans depends on the organ in which the cysts develop, and the size the cyst eventually reaches. Obviously, a small cyst in the brain will be potentially more serious than a larger cyst in the liver or lung. Extensive cyst development in any organ will affect the organs function.

While it is easy to treat the tapeworm in the intestine of the dog with anthelmintics (deworming drugs), in man the removal of cysts may require major surgery. In some instances, multiple major surgeries may be required to remove cysts from affected organs.

Hydatid eggs in the environmentHydatid tapeworm eggs, when passed by dogs, dingoes and foxes into the environment, are quite resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Under favourable conditions (cool, moist, overcast), eggs may remain infective to susceptible intermediate hosts for several months.

High risk areasSheep and cattle that graze pastures adjacent to forested land where wild dogs are present have a higher incidence of hydatid cysts. Wild dogs, and to a lesser extent foxes, have become a reservoir of hydatid infection, as they are not regularly treated for worms.

Domestic dogs become infested when they are fed or scavenge the offal of infected sheep or kangaroos. Hunters dogs fed offal from kangaroos, wallabies or occasionally wild pigs, can bring hydatid disease into urban areas.

Holiday-makers or rural retreat owners and their friends who bring domestic dogs into bush areas are often unaware of the hydatid risk, and may not regularly treat their dogs for the hydatid tapeworm. They should not allow their dogs to roam, or scavenge from sheep or kangaroo carcasses.

Wild (sylvatic) and domestic cyclesWild dogs carry thousands of hydatid tapeworms, and they usually contract this disease by eating infected kangaroos and wallabies. This is known as the wild, or sylvatic, cycle. When these feral dogs or dingoes pass faeces on farmland, hydatids enter the domestic cycle, where farm livestock and rural dogs perpetuate the disease. Similarly, domestic dogs that gain access to the offal of infected kangaroos can bring the hydatid tapeworm into the domestic cycle.

Controlling hydatid diseaseTo control hydatid disease in both man and animals, the life cycle of this parasite must be broken. This is achieved in two ways.

Ensuring dogs are regularly treated with effective anthelmintics to remove the hydatid tapeworm

Preventing dogs from accessing offal from infected intermediate hosts (particularly sheep and kangaroos) by feeding dogs commercially cooked dog foods

Dogs should be regularly treated with praziquantel tablets (5 mg/kg) to remove the hydatid tapeworm. Dogs that could have accidental access to the offal of infected animals should be treated every 6 to 8 weeks to keep them free of hydatids; hydatid tapeworms mature and lay eggs 6 weeks after the cysts are eaten by the dog.

Treatment need not be so frequent for dogs that are fed only commercially cooked food, and that have no access to animal carcasses. Owners of dogs in low risk areas are recommended to treat their dogs with praziquantel every 3 months.

Home killing of livestockThe large, encapsulated, fluid-filled hydatid cysts are easily detected in lung and liver tissue, but early infections can be too small to be detected. If a cyst is cut with a knife, the clear, watery fluid containing the hydatid heads may splash out over the muscle tissue or other surfaces. This material is not infective to man, but is highly infective to dogs.

Feeding of offal to dogs, even if boiled, carries a significant risk of transmitting hydatids to the dog, and perpetuating the hydatid life cycle.

Offal of sheep, cattle, kangaroos or pigs should never be fed to dogs.

Basic rules for hydatid prevention•Wash hands after handling dogs, and before eating, smoking, etc.

•Dont allow dogs to lick your own, or your childrens, faces.

•Never feed offal (internal organs of sheep, cattle, kangaroo or pigs) to dogs boiling is not always sufficient to kill hydatid cysts in offal.

•Dont allow dogs to defecate near vegetable gardens or childrens play areas.

•Dont allow dogs to roam, or gain access to carcasses of wild or farm animals.

•Treat dogs at high risk with praziquantel (5 mg/kg) every 6 to 8 weeks, and all dogs at least every 12 weeks.

AcknowledgementsThis Agnote was developed by John Harkin, Biosecurity Victoria, November 2004 and was reviewed by John Harkin April 2009.

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ISSN 1329-8062

Published and Authorised by:

Department of Primary Industries

1 Spring Street

Melbourne, Victoria

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

The advice provided in this publication is intended as a source of information only. Always read the label before using any of the products mentioned. The State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication

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[mac'ella]

Hi oakway

In the lifecycle isnt the eggs or larvae also passed on by freshwater snails picking up the eggs from droppings in the water and passed on to sheep and cattle when either drinking or eating vegetation at waters edge ingesting the snails.Ive heard this previously and thought you might be able to confirm it.

We used to rabbit hunt and often found cysts in rabbits and mostly where there were streams running through the paddocks

[Staranais]

Hi oakway

In the lifecycle isnt the eggs or larvae also passed on by freshwater snails picking up the eggs from droppings in the water and passed on to sheep and cattle when either drinking or eating vegetation at waters edge ingesting the snails.Ive heard this previously and thought you might be able to confirm it.

We used to rabbit hunt and often found cysts in rabbits and mostly where there were streams running through the paddocks

I'm not Oakway, but I think you might be thinking of liver fluke (fasciola)? Those are carried by water snails.