This page quotes a published document. Everything below in quotation marks is copied word for word from https://capcvet.org/guidelines/urinary-tract-nematodes/, published by CAPC and retrieved on 2026-09-16. The quotations are excerpts; the document itself is linked and is the authority. Nothing has been reworded.
This page quotes the Companion Animal Parasite Council guideline for Urinary Tract Nematodes, section by section: the opening sentences of 7 sections, copied without change and linked to the guideline, which was retrieved on 2026-09-16. The guideline itself is the authority and carries the full text.
The guideline
Companion Animal Parasite Council, Urinary Tract Nematodes, at https://capcvet.org/guidelines/pearsonema-spp/. Retrieved 2026-09-16. Each heading below is the guideline’s own, and the quotation under it is how that section begins. The full section, and the species tabs where the guideline gives them, are on the linked page.
Species
Canine Pearsonema plica (= Capillaria plica ) Dioctophyme renale Feline Pearsonema plica (= Capillaria plica ) Pearsonema feliscati (= Capillaria feliscati ) These parasites are more commonly found in various wild carnivores including raccoons, wild canids, mustelids, etc. For example, in endemic areas, mink and other mustelids commonly serve as hosts for Dioctophyme renale .
Disease
Most infections with urinary tract nematodes are subclinical. In heavy infections, Pearsonema spp . can irritate the bladder mucosa, resulting in submucosal edema and subsequent cystitis.
Prevalence
While occasionally diagnosed, infection with urinary nematodes is relatively uncommon in dogs and cats and may have more of a regional distribution. For example, Pearsonema spp. appears to be more common in the southeastern U.S., whereas D. renale is more often seen in the northern Midwest and southern Canada.
Diagnosis
Eggs of the urinary nematodes can be detected via routine examination of urine sediment. Infection with D. renale may also be first detected via appreciation of a grossly distended right kidney on abdominal radiographs or abdominal ultrasound, or serendipitously by finding the large, bright red, adult worms free in the abdominal cavity during a routine laparotomy such as for ovariohysterectomy.
Treatment
There are no products labeled for treatment of Pearsonema spp . in dogs and cats; fenbendazole (50 mg/kg) and ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) have been reported to be effective although several doses may be required to eliminate the infection.
Control and Prevention
Keeping cats indoors and dogs confined to a leash or in a fenced yard will limit the opportunity for pets to acquire infection with Pearsonema spp . from earthworms or paratenic hosts. To avoid D. renale infection, do not feed dogs raw or undercooked frogs or fish; also, the refuse from cleaning fish should be secured to prevent scavenging behavior.
Public Health Considerations
Pearsonema spp . pose no known public health risk. Dioctophyme renale infections have been reported from people who consume raw or undercooked fish or frogs harboring infective larvae.
Continue reading public health considerations on capcvet.org
Sources
- capc-pearsonema-sppCAPC · retrieved 2026-09-16
“Most infections with urinary tract nematodes are subclinical. In heavy infections, Pearsonema spp . can irritate the bladder mucosa, resulting in submucosal edema and subsequent” (Disease)
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