Parasites (Worms) in Your Pets - What Do You Know About Them?

Did you know that we can catch our pets & # 39; parasites?

Worms! Yuck! De-worming our cats and dogs and making sure they stay "clean" is very important to them. To I. I ll explain about the different kinds of internal parasites our "Best Friends" But your veterinarian may have a different treatment he / she likes to use so go with what your vet recommends.

New Pets

Every new puppy or kitten should be checked for intestinal parasites. Even if you see the worm. in the feces (poop) you should still have the stool (poop) checked because there are multiple types of worms present and some need a different drug than another to rid the system.

Just take about a teaspoon full to the teaspoon I see every day These big piles of stinky poop come in and let me tell you it & # 39; s not much fun to have to handle this stuff. Do not freeze the sample. You are to keep it. You put it in a plastic sandwich bag, pill bottle, jar or whatever you come up.. And please always wash your hands with soap and water.

I really like using the microscope.) E microscope must be used as a clinic will be used Once you have established the same drug with. that The animal should not have to be present. But keep in mind that each different office may be different so check with them to make sure this is OK for you to do.

General guidelines for canines

Puppies

• Treat every 2 weeks between 2 weeks and 3 months of age.
• Once a month from 3 to 6 months of age.
• Four times a year after 6 months of age.

Adults

• Treat regularly (considering potential exposure to parasites)
• Continued monitoring of parasite prevalence in your area is recommended.

Pregnant and Lactating Dogs.

• Treat currently with puppies.

Newly Acquired Puppies or Dogs

• Treat immediately, then repeat after 2 weeks and follow guidelines for puppies and adults.

General guidelines for felines

Kittens

Treat every 2 weeks between 3 and 9 weeks of age, then once a month until 6 months of age.

Repeat treatment at recommended intervals.

Adults

• Treat regularly (consider potential exposure to parasites.
• Continued monitoring of parasite prevalence in your area is recommended.

Pregnant and Lactating Cats

• Treat currently with kittens.

Newly Acquired Kittens and Cats

• Treat immediately, then repeat after 2 weeks and follow guidelines for kittens and adults.

Some risks and signs to look for.

There may be blood loss, malnutrition, diarrhea possibly bloody, dehydration, weight loss and yes, even death. The animal could have dry hair and It is possible for the warmth eggs or larvae to lay dormant in the animals body and become active in times of stress or occasional pregnancy. The puppies A single egg (or kittens will then be born with the parasites.) single augmented with an animal or humans can cats them. Accidental ingestion of the eggs is all it takes. Most intestinal parasites multiply very very fast. can become a fast growing problem.

Be safe.

Some safeguards for you and your pets.

1. Always wash your hands after handling feces even after handling your pet.
2. Have a fecal screening done by your veterinarian twice a year. Some pets will require more depending on on the pet 's lifestyle and risk factors. Your vet will help you with this.
3. Pick up the animals waste in the yard at least 2-3 times a week though it would be best to pick up every day if possible. Wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them. .
4. Keep your pet flea free. Ingestion of infected fleas causes tapeworms in both animals and people.
5. Keep the kids from going barefoot or sitting / laying on the ground where the animals may have gone potty.
6. Clean cat litter boxes daily and wash your hands.
7. Even licking your hands can you put it in a danger of contacting worms as you then put your hand up to your face and by your your mouth and presto, in goes an egg. That & # 39; s it. You now have worms at least one kind and that 's one kind to many for me.

Most of the time, I'm not quite that simple, but possible. Most zoonotic parasites are transmitted from a contaminated environment, not from normal contact with your pet.

Intestinal Parasites. A description and cure.

Roundworms

The puppies could have larvae in their tissues. If the mother had round worms the baby & # 39; s have them. Even if the birth took place before The mother was infected with round worms in the milk. The larvae make their way to the intestinal tract where they then live and lay eggs. The eggs the adult worms pass in the stool now re-infest the same If eggs hatch and the larvae migrate to the lungs. If the mother has larvae that is dormant it can activate during the last stages of pregnancy and infest her babies Almost all wormer 's work only on the adult parasite in the intestinal tract only. Puppies or kittens A round worm can can reach a length of 5 inches. A liquid drug called Pyrantel is easy to use, taste good to most pets and works well for round arem.. There are oth Signs of roundworms: Diarrhea, Vomiting, Loss of appetite, Weakness, Weight loss, Difficulty breathing, dull scruffy coat, swollen abdomen (pot belly), Adult worms visible in feces.

Hookworms

This intestinal parasite can cause red, itchy skin rashes (commonly referred to as "creeping eruption"), severe stomachaches and nausea. The hook worm is a small thin worm that attaches its own to the walls of the intestine and sucks blood. Hookworms infestation can kill a puppy. Often times making it severely anemic from the loss of blood from from the stolen or soul. from ingesting the eggs after contact with the larvae from the stool or contaminated soil. the hookworms meal. Often the signs of hookworm infestation would be dark or bloody diarrhea, weight loss, anemia pale gums and progressive weakness. Once again as with rounds the liquid Pyrantel would be good for hooks but there are other drugs on the market that will not will work well.

Whipworms

Whipworms live in the "cecum". Dogs are seen with whipworms more often thanks but cats are still suspectible. If your pet has been weighted losses and passes stool, that 's the first section of the animal & # 39; s large intestine. The whipworm sheds few eggs so it is difficult to diagnose even under the microscope if no eggs have been shed. That seems to have coverage of the stool, lives in a kennel environment or an area ware whips are prevalent it may be whipworms. Your veterinarian my prescribe medication based on the circumstantial evidence. Two good medications for whips would be Drontal or Panacur.

Tapeworms

Both dogs and cats get infected with pipes by ingesting fleas. Our pets eat wild or rodents infected with tapeworms or fleas and then become become infected. They will usually be seated in the worm. Ask your veterinarian if they have one in a jar if you want to see the whole worm. It & # 39; s really Tapeworms can not be eradicated by the typical over the counter wormer 's. Get the good stuff from your veterinarian. Panacur films for one of the two kind of tapeworms. Hum, wonder which one my pet could have.

Giardia

Some times when are pet carry giardia they do not show sign of of intestines or floats in the mucous lining of the intestine. Some other grade giardia infestations may flare up if the animal has health issues or stressed nutritionally.

The cyst can live outside of the host for a long time as long as there is is enough moisture. Animals ingest the cysts so seeing infected. Giardia reproduce by cell division.

Animals pass on giardia through ingesting cysts from contaminated feed or drinking water. These giardia cyst are found in streams and other water sources.

Humans can also get giardia. Studies are still being done done on on our pets can transmit this to us. For the meantime we should assume it is possible and take precaution.

It is a good idea to at least 3 fecal exams in a seven to ten day period.

To treat giardia there are generally two drugs recommended. Metronidazole or quinacrine.

Coccidia

Coccidia are not worms and they are not visible to the naked eye. This infection causes a watery diarrhea which can be sometimes bloody and can be a life threatening problem especially to young or small pets due to fluid loss and dehydration.

Coccidia is found in fecal contaminated ground. They are swallowed when your pet grooms and licks itself. Mice can also consume coccidia so when our pets eat a mouse they can become If your pet is diarrhea it is a good idea to have a fecal rank. Keep in mind though small numbers of coccidia can be Several fecal test may be necessary. This may not be the case.

Once the coccidiostats "which coccidiostats" which inhibit coccidial reproduction. Once the coccidia stop expanding it is then easier for the pets immune Typically it should take one or two weeks for medication to clear this up. Keep the animal on the medicine until the diarrhea has stopped plus an extra couple of days. A bad case could take up to a month to treat.

The use of sulfa drugs in pregnant animals can cause birth defects. False positive test results for urine glucose can also arise.

Some statistics.

Just some trivia you might be interested in.

Quoted from Bayer Health care LLC. Animal Division.

One female roundworm can lay up to 1000,000 eggs in a day. A hookworm up to 20,000 eggs per day. Wow. That & # 39; s some massive egg laying. You can not see them though without a microscope.

In just one week, two puppies infected with roundworms can shed more than 20 million eggs and contaminate a 2,800 square foot backyard.

Certain kind of parasite eggs can survive in the soil for years.

A nationwide study revealed more than 1 out of 3 untreated dogs were infected by roundworms and / or hookworms and / or whipworms.

Almost all puppies less than 3 months old are infected with roundworms.

In a survey of veterinarians who treated cats, 43% of respondents reported seeing tapeworms frequently to many and 26% reported the same for roundworm infections.