Veterinary parasitology

Veterinary parasitology is a branch of veterinary medicine that deals with the study of morphology, life-cycle, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and control of eukaryotic invertebrates of the kingdom Animalia and the taxon Protozoa that depend upon other invertebrates and higher vertebrates for their propagation, nutrition, and metabolism without necessarily causing the death of their hosts.

Others include the McMaster method, which uses a special two-chamber slide that allows parasite eggs to be more clearly visible and easily counted.

The Baermann method is similar but requires more specialized equipment and more time and is typically used to diagnose lungworm and threadworm.

Though not technically considered a histopathological technique, skin scraping – which involves taking a small sample of the epidermal cells of a dog, cat, or other household pet – is commonly used to detect the presence of mites.

PCR and RFLP are used to detect and amplify parasite DNA found in the feces, blood, or tissue of the host.