Deworming
Veterinary services
Veterinary services
General overview
Parasites can reduce your pet’s quality of life and lead to serious health issues. The main types of parasites are:
- intestinal – roundworms (nematodes), flatworms (tapeworms), protozoa (isospores, giardia)
- non-intestinal – cardiac, pulmonary and subcutaneous
- external – fleas, ticks, lice.
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Why are these parasites dangerous?
Fleas:
Fleas are small, brown, fast-moving, and blood-sucking insects that you can see in your pet’s fur. Some animals are allergic to flea saliva, which can cause inflammation, itching, redness and discomfort. If ingested while your pet is taking care of itself, fleas can transmit an intestinal parasite called dipilidium (feline tapeworm).
Ticks:
Ticks are members of the subclass Mites and live outside in grassy vegetation, forests and farm buildings. Some tick bites cause only slight irritation or swelling of the site, but other tick bites can infect your pet with serious diseases like lyme disease, Ehrlichia, anaplasma, or babesia.
Heartworm:
The disease is caused by Dirofilaria immitis. It is transmitted when an infected mosquito bites your pet. Adult worms live in the pulmonary arteries of the right half of the heart. Dogs with heartworm disease remain asymptomatic for a long time. This makes timely diagnosis difficult.
How can I tell if my pet requires treatment for parasites?
When an animal is infested with fleas you can often see them bite, scratch, or lick themselves. Another way to tell is if you see flea droppings on your pet. Their excrement looks like pieces of ground coffee or fine black sand. You can spot it around your pet’s belly after you comb their fur with a fine-tooth comb or even just by spreading their fur.
Symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, getting easily tired, or an enlarged abdomen could be signs of heartworm infection. While this disease is treatable if caught early it can be quite expensive and other complications could arise.
Fever, fatigue, a stiff gait, the presence of blood in the urine, or seizures could be a symptom of a tick-borne disease. If you experience any of these, especially if you have recently removed ticks from your pet, we recommend you do a test to check if your pet might have been infected.
Watery, sometimes bloody diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, or a bloated abdomen may be signs of internal parasites.
How can I protect my pet?
Important measures you can take against internal parasites include:
- Regular deworming every month (there are exceptions in pregnant animals, puppies and kittens);
- Periodical examination of stool;
- With the exception of heartworms, intestinal parasites are transmitted by the release of eggs or larvae in the feces. It follows that hygiene measures, especially regular cleaning of pet feces, will reduce environmental pollution with invasive parasites;
- Use of prepackaged dry or wet food, or heat-treated food to prevent infection with parasites that are contained in raw meat. Dogs and cats must not have access to rodents, carcasses, or aborted fetuses and placentas of cattle and sheep;
- The monthly application of deworming drugs against heartworm is recommended from an early age. In case you miss a treatment or you’ve never done and it’s a good idea to screen your pet for the disease.
Important measures you can take against external parasites include:
- Using reliable medications against fleas and ticks all year round;
- Avoiding areas with dense vegetation;
- Inspecting your animals for ticks after each walk;
- Removing any ticks you find as soon as possible