Blog: The Importance of Parasite Prevention

There are very few things that can make a person cringe like the thought of a creepy, crawly, worm slithering under their skin.  Parasites are certainly among the most revolting things that can be passed between a pet and its people.  Not only can pets be a source of parasites, but parasites can also be a source of disease.  The number of parasites and associated diseases that can affect animals and humans is numerous.  For this reason, we will do a rough overview of the most common parasites.  The important thing to know is that pets and people are at risk for many PREVENTABLE conditions caused by parasites.

The main parasites that we aim to prevent against are fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal worms.  Out of these, all but the heartworm (spread by mosquitoes) can affect people.  Although heartworms do not affect people, heartworm disease can cause severe illness or death in dogs and cats.  Treatment in dogs is costly and risky and there is no treatment for cats.  Often cats show few signs of illness but some cats experience no signs except sudden death.  Fleas can spread diseases to people and animals by passing along organisms or bacteria that cause other diseases.  The diseases that fleas can spread include tapeworms, cat scratch disease, and the plague.  Ticks work in the same way and can spread diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Babesiosis.  Intestinal worms cause problems by taking nutrients and blood from your pet.  They cause problems in people because they migrate through our bodies and cause damage under the skin, in internal organs, or end up in the eye.  Most intestinal worms have to be ingested during their immature stages to cause disease but some intestinal worms can burrow straight through the skin.

So now that we know that we want to keep these nasty critters away from us and our pets, what do we do?  It is recommended that all pets be screened for heartworms once per year and prevention for fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites be given monthly all year long.  There are many, many options available and some options work better than others.  Some products can be very dangerous for your pet and certain brands have a history of causing neurological problems, seizures, or death in animals treated with them.  We typically do not “dip” animals anymore for this reason.  Since there are so many different options, and not all products work the same or are recommended for all animals, we recommend having a discussion with your trusted pet care professional before settling on a choice.  If your pet is not currently on parasite prevention, give us a call or come in to discuss your options and get your pet protected today!