ESCCAP Guidelines

ESCCAP (European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites) is an independent, non-profit making organization whose role is to develop guidelines for the treatment and control of parasites in pet animals.  The guidelines are developed to protect the health of pets, enhance the safety of the public and preserve the bond between pets and people.

There is great diversity in the parasites and their importance across Europe.  ESCCAP guidelines summarise the different situations within Europe, highlighting important differences between parasites and between different parts of Europe where necessary, and recommend specific control measures.

ESCCAP believes that:

• Veterinarians and pet owners must take measures to protect pets from parasitic infections.
• Pet travel has the potential to change epidemiological situations with export or import of non-endemic parasite species, therefore Veterinarians and pet owners must protect the pet population from risks associated with travel and its consequences.
• Veterinarians, pet owners and physicians should work together to reduce the risks associated with zoonotic transmission of parasitic diseases.
• Veterinarians can and should give guidance to the pet owner regarding infection risk and risk of disease caused by different parasites and measurements against them.
• Veterinarians should inform the pet owner about parasites and enable them to act responsibly for their pet’s life and the pets and other animals and people in their communities.

To assist in this process, ESCCAP produces each guideline in two formats: 1) FULL: detailed 2) SUMMARIZED: for veterinarians and PET OWNERS.  Both versions of the guideline will be found on this website.

Various guidelines for treatment and control of parasitic infections in companion animals have been implemented in other countries such as USA by organizations such as CAPC (Companion Animal Parasite Council).  However, to date no single comprehensive guideline for Europe with its diverse parasite spectrum has been developed.

Select the Guideline that you wish to download.