As a veterinary technician who is all too familiar with all of the different parasites, viruses, and other “creepy things” that can be a threat to our pets and our families, I am often surprised at how many of our pet owners are not aware of the common parasites that are a threat to pets and family members in our area, how easy they are to prevent, and the illnesses in people and pets that these parasites can cause.
As a mommy to 5 furry kids and 3 human kids, the dangers are all too real to me and what better month than October, the month of creepy and yucky things, to share with all of you the things every parent of pets or kids should know!!
Every pet owner should have a basic idea of how to keep their family protected from parasites. The most devastating of these parasites being heartworms, which all pets are at risk of contracting, but these are 100% preventable.
Most pet owners are aware of the parasites that we can see with the eye, but we should all also be aware of the parasites that our pets can come into contact with that we typically do not see…
Heartworms:
Symptoms
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Tires easily
- Sudden death
Transmission
- Pets are infected by mosquitos who have also bitten an infected pet
- Indoor and outdoor pets are at risk, in fact, 25% of cats who test positive for heartworms are reported to be indoor only by their owners.
- Dogs and cats are at risk.
Treatment is available for dogs who are infected with heartworms, but it can be costly, dogs must be activity restricted for up to 6 months.
There is no available treatment for cats!
Testing
- A simple blood test can tell us if a pet has contracted heartworms. We often include this in your pet’s annual blood screening each year.
- For pets on regular monthly preventative, we test yearly to ensure the medication is acting effectively.
- For pets who have not been on preventative or has missed doses, we will test initially then retest in 6 months.(heartworm tests look for the prescence of adult worms and it takes six months from the time a mosquito bites your pet until the worms are adults detectable by testing)
- Cats do not have to be tested prior to starting prevention
Prevention
- For dogs: we recommend Sentinel or Interceptor to provide the most complete coverage, however, at the current time, it is in short supply and we are recommending the next best product(Trifexis) until those products are available again.
- For cats: We recommend Revolution
- Heartworms are 100% preventable!!!!
Intestinal Parasites
Common intestinal parasites in our area
- Hookworms – transmitted through infected stool or from the pets mother, contagious to humans, very common in our area
- Roundworms - transmitted through infected stool or from the pets mother, contagious to humans, very common in our area, carried by the majority of puppies/kittens.
- Tapeworms – transmitted through fleas, contagious to humans, egg packets in the stool may or may not be visually apparent
- Whipworms - transmitted through infected stool, common in our area, long treatment period is needed
- Coccidia – Most common in stray or shelter pets and pediatric patients, contagious to humans, but only in rare instances
- Giardia – transmitted through contaminated water or grooming other infected pets. Contagious to humans, but only in rare instances.
Symptoms
- Somestimes none
- Vomiting/diarrhea
- Weight loss
Transmission
- Fecal – oral(through infected stool of other animals)
- Contracted from the pets mother at birth
- Hunting rodents or other pests
- Fleas
- Grooming other pets
Testing
- A stool specimen is colected and we look for evidence of these microscopic parasites not typically visible in the stool.
- Yearly testing is recommended for all pets on regular prevention
- More frequent testing is recommended for outdoor cats, pets who hunt, pets who visit dog parks or daycares.
Prevention
- Monthly prevention(Sentinel/Interceptor for dogs or Revolution for cats) prevents the most common intestinal parasites.
- Remove pet droppings from your yard frequently – daily is best, but minimally 2-3 times weekly.
- Keep sandboxes covered when not in use
- Do not allow your pet to drink from standing water or streams – these may be contaminated with animal feces
- Keep your pets flea free
For more information on heartworms and intestinal parasites visit:
