TAPIR FIELD VETERINARY MANUAL - Tapir Specialist Group

6.1.9. Ectoparasites
The ticks should be removed carefully, rotating it in order to avoid pulling up the bucal
apparatus, which is critical for its microscopic identification. For cases when it is necessary to
store ticks for longer periods of time samples should be preserved in Ethanol 70%.
To determine if the interaction parasite-wild host - parasite - domestic host implies epidemic
risk, all the plethoric females may be gathered and submitted to a laboratory for larval
cultures. To determine the parasitic load of an individual, all the ticks bigger than 4.5 mm of
diameter present in half of the body of the animal are counted, and the given number
multiplied by two.
The mites producing scabies are collected from scrapings and hairs from the periphery of the
affected area of the skin, and stored in sterile tubes with glycerin. Fleas can be collected
directly from the body of the animal, and conserved in ethanol 70%.
6.1.10. Vaginal Cytology
Vaginal cytology is a tool to access the reproductive health of the females. Hygienize the
vulva and insert a clean swab into the vagina (without touching the vulva), rotate the swab
on the vaginal walls, remove the swab and roll it over a microscope slide. The fixation of the
slide on the field is recommended, with alcohol or commercial sprays, then leave the slide to
rest at ambient temperature and protected from insects. On the laboratory, the Fast Panotic
or Giemsa stains can be used for microscopic analysis.
6.1.11. Other Cytological Samples
Diagnostic clinical cytology (cythopathology) is an aid for the diagnostic clinical bacteriology,
because it consists of the direct analysis of the liquid obtained from punctures and
aspirations. It allows the identification of the dominant cell type in a given inflammatory
process, as well as the status of the cells from the affected tissue, and in some cases the
identification of the etiologic agent. It is generally a relatively simple technique that can be
practiced in the field.