Case Details
Otis: 4-month-old intact male Bullmastiff
Location: Ontario, Canada
Background: Otis lives outside of the city; he has never traveled to the U.S., hasn’t had any exposure to other dogs, and has never been at a kennel for boarding.
Primary Vet: Dr. Tai Deluna — Abernant Veterinary Services
Otis’ Medical History
Initial visit and treatment (early 2023):
- He presented with diarrhea and failure-to-thrive (thin and under-developed)
- The team performed an in-house fecal flotation that was hookworm-positive
- Otis was treated with an anti-parasite drug
Over the next 2 to 3 weeks:
- A week after his initial treatment, a repeat fecal flotation was hookworm-positive
- Otis was treated with the same anti-parasite drug a second time
- A week after his second treatment, on his third fecal flotation, Otis was still hookworm-positive
6 weeks after Otis’ initial visit:
- He was still having diarrhea and was very thin
- A fecal sample was sent to Antech for a KeyScreen® GI Parasite PCR test
The KeyScreen GI Parasite PCR Results
- Ancylostoma spp. detected
- Hookworm treatment-resistance marker detected
- Giardia duodenalis detected
- Giardia potential zoonotic assemblage marker not detected
Otis’ veterinarian spoke to an internal medicine specialist at Antech, who collaborated with his vet team on a tailored set of evidence- and expert-based recommendations for his treatment, One Health concerns (zoonoses, environmental burden), and antimicrobial stewardship.
Otis started on targeted anti-parasite therapy
Otis’ diarrhea had improved two days after starting treatment, and by day three, he had completely normal stool.
KeyScreen GI Parasite PCR Result — 3 weeks after targeted treatment:
- Ancylostoma spp. not detected
- Giardia duodenalis detected
- Giardia potential zoonotic assemblage marker not detected
One month after starting targeted therapy for his treatment-resistant hookworm infection, Otis was doing well. He had completely normal stool, impressive weight and muscle mass improvements, and his care team was thrilled to see him on the path to a full recovery.
At nine months after his initial visit, Otis is doing great.
KeyScreen GI Parasite PCR Case Impact for Otis
- Detected the hookworm benzimidazole (e.g., fenbendazole) treatment-resistance marker, which was likely the cause of Otis’s treatment failure and hookworm persistence
- Detection led to accurate, targeted hookworm treatment by Otis’s care team
- Resolution of clinical signs — Otis is now a happy and healthy puppy
- Appropriate antimicrobial use and stewardship
- One Health accountability for the pet, humans, and the environment
- Confirmation of hookworm infection resolution post treatment
- Assurance of non-zoonotic potential assemblage Giardia
- Otis’s lack of clinical signs (normal stool) assured his care team that there was no need for specific drug treatment for Giardia or concern for Otis’ owners
Get deeper insights, faster detection of infection, and tailored treatment plans.
Use KeyScreen® GI Parasite PCR, today.
Explore our KeyScreen peer-reviewed studies on hookworm
*Evason, MD, et al. Emergence of canine hookworm treatment resistance: Novel detection of Ancylostoma caninum anthelmintic resistance markers by fecal PCR in 11 dogs from Canada, Am J Vet Res. 2023: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.23.05.0116
Leutenegger CM, et al. Comparative Study of a Broad qPCR Panel and Centrifugal Flotation for Detection of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Fecal Samples from Dogs and Cats in the United States. Parasites & Vectors. 2023.
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-023-05904-z
Leutenegger CM, et al. Emergence of Ancylostoma caninum parasites with the benzimidazole resistance F167Y polymorphism in the US dog population. Int. J. Parasitol. Drugs Drug Resist.2023;14:131-140. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211320723000015?via%3Dihub
