Companion Animal Parasite Council
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Companion Animal
Parasite Council (CAPC)?
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) is an independent council of veterinary practitioners, parasitologists, physicians, legal experts and others working together to create guidelines for optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people.
Formed in 2002, CAPC is the first and only task force in the United States created for the explicit purpose of reducing the risks posed by parasites. The council has developed guidelines designed to shape protocols for parasite prevention, treatment and monitoring, as well as recommendations for staff and client education.
The CAPC guidelines are based on the premise that internal and external parasites pose a significant health risk to both pets and people, and can only be overcome if treatment and prevention protocol is universally enforced.
What will CAPC do?
The mission of CAPC is to foster animal and human health, while preserving the human-animal bond, through recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of parasitic infections.
Through its guidelines, CAPC will promote and facilitate:
- Adoption of practices and procedures to protect pets from parasitic infections;
- Adoption of practices and procedures to reduce the risk of transmission of zoonotic parasites to humans;
- Collaboration among pet owners, veterinarians and physicians to control parasitic infections; and
- Collaboration with other groups who share the common interests of parasite control and animal and human health.
Why are CAPC and its guidelines necessary?
CAPC was developed in response to an agreement among veterinary thought leaders that current protocols to prevent parasitism in pets and people have proven incomplete. Despite the availability of safe, effective and affordable preventives for common internal and external parasites, statistics illustrate that parasites are not as properly managed as they could be:- More than 21.5 million dog owners were found to be either not giving their dogs heartworm preventives or not administering them as recommended by their veterinarian.
- While an estimated 77 percent of veterinarians currently recommend year-round administration of heartworm preventives, only half of owners report they follow these instructions; the result is that more than 240,000 dogs are diagnosed annually with heartworm infection.
- Nationwide, 34 percent of dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, with up to 54 percent infected in southeastern states.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that between 1 and 3 million people are zoonotically infected with toxocara migrans each year.
What steps are recommended in the CAPC guidelines?
The complete 2005 CAPC Guidelines, which include a comprehensive reference guide to companion animal parasites, testing guidelines, fecal examination techniques, environmental control techniques and other information, are available on this website in the Guidelines section. To order a copy of the comprehensive Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) Guidelines or the abbreviated Protocol Recommendations, please e-mail us at info@capcvet.org. A summary of the guidelines is as follows:- Administer year-round treatment with heartworm preventives that have broad-spectrum activity against parasites with zoonotic potential.
- Administer preventive flea and/or tick products year-round.
- Conduct annual physical examination with complete history.
- Conduct annual heartworm infection testing in dogs and periodic testing in cats.
- Feed pets cooked or prepared food (not raw meat) and provide fresh, potable water.
- Conduct fecal examinations two to four times during the first year of life and one to two times per year in adults, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors.
- Administer anthelmintic treatment of puppies at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age, followed by administration of a monthly preventive.
- Administer biweekly anthelmintic treatment of kittens between 3 and 9 weeks, followed by administration of a monthly preventive.
- Treat nursing bitches and queens along with their offspring.
- Counsel pet owners to collect and dispose of feces regularly.
- Tailor parasite prevention programs to parasite prevalence and pet lifestyle factors.
- Deworm puppies at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age.
- In kittens, begin biweekly anthelmintic treatment between 3 and 9 weeks of age and then again monthly until 6 months of age.
- Conduct fecal examinations two to four times a year in adult pets, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors, and treat with appropriate parasiticides.
- Test for heartworm status yearly in dogs and/or before starting preventive medications.
Who developed the CAPC guidelines?
The Companion Animal Parasite Council includes a number of veterinary practitioners, parasitologists, physicians, legal experts and others. Charter members included:| Clarke Atkins, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM Department of Clinical Sciences North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Byron Blagburn, PhD Department of Pathobiology Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Dwight Bowman, MS, PhD Department of Microbiology and Immunology Cornell University Ithaca, New York Michael Dryden, DVM, Diplomate, MS, PhD Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Jeanne Eisenhour, DVM South Suburban Animal Clinic Perrysburg, Ohio Gary Holfinger, DVM East Suburban Animal Clinic Northwood, Ohio Kevin R. Kazacos, DVM, PhD Department of Veterinary Medicine Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana |
Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, Esq. Consultant Priority Veterinary Legal Consultants Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Eugenia Marcus, MD, FAAP Pediatric Health Care Newton-Wellesley Hospital Newton, Massachusetts Leonard Marcus, VMD, MD Travelers' Health and Immunization Services Newton, Massachusetts Kathleen T. Neuhoff, DVM, Diplomate, ABVP Magrane Pet Medical Center Mishawaka, Indiana Mike Paul, DVM Retired Anguilla, British West Indies Peter M. Schantz, VMD, PhD Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia Michael Thomas, DVM Noah's Animal Hospital Indianapolis, Indiana |
CAPC is designed as a dynamic task force, with members revolving on and off the council as specific expert needs are met and new challenges emerge. Check the Members Bios section for current member bios.
What is the ongoing role of CAPC?
The initial guidelines address the most common internal and external parasites, including heartworms, ascarids, hookworms, whipworms, fleas and ticks, and continuing efforts are underway to address additional parasite risks, including cestodes and intestinal Protozoa.CAPC will also pursue education efforts designed to raise the level of care provided by veterinary professionals, human health care professionals and pet owners, and stay abreast of the latest breakthroughs in parasite management. The group will update the CAPC guidelines as necessary and work to ensure its position as a leading resource in companion animal parasitology.
