Parasites…Things That Consider Your Pet Lunch
Internal and external parasites should be a concern to every pet and pet owner.
Parasites cannot be avoided; they are everywhere…mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, in
soil and even in seemingly pristine mountain lake water. Several parasites can
be transmitted to a variety of hosts including cats, dogs, horses and humans.
Severe infestations can kill. Treatment for parasites requires a veterinary exam
and a stool sample to determine the type of parasite. Once a parasite is
identified, your veterinarian will prescribe treatment.
Roundworms: Nearly 100% of all dogs born in the US are born with
roundworms. Infestation occurs through the mother, in milk or in contaminated
soil. Veterinarians will look for worm eggs in the stool sample. Sometimes, an
owner will find a full-grown roundworm in the stool, which looks like a wiggling
piece of spaghetti. Roundworms can be found in cats, dogs, horses and humans.
Signs of roundworm include abdominal pain, potbelly, dull coat, coughing,
gagging, vomiting and diarrhea. Severe infestations can stunt growth or kill.
Roundworm infestation is contagious to humans especially children. Once inside
a human body, roundworms can migrate to any part of the body causing
symptoms ranging from flu-like aches to blindness.
Hookworms: Infestation is usually acquired the same way as roundworms.
Hookworm larvae can also bore through the skin. Hookworms can be found in
cats, dogs and humans.
Signs of hookworm include bloody, tar-like diarrhea. Adults rarely show signs of
infestation. Only a veterinarian can make a definitive diagnosis.
Hookworm infestation is contagious to humans. If swallowed, hookworms will
cause abdominal pain. Creeping eruption or ground itch is caused by hookworms
boring through the skin contacted by walking barefoot in contaminated soil.
Heartworms: The most damaging and the most easily preventable of all
parasites are heartworms. Heartworms live in the heart and interfere with heart
function. Left untreated, heartworm infestation is ALWAYS fatal. Heartworms can
be found in cats, dogs and, extremely rarely, in humans.
Larvae enter the body through a mosquito bite. Signs include fatigue and cough.
Left untreated, weight loss, rapid breathing, coughing, fainting and death will
follow. Once infected, treatment is difficult and in severe cases, surgical removal
of the heartworms is necessary.
Mosquitoes can be found year-round in even very cold climates. A simple blood
test is used to check for heartworms before giving a preventive. Heartworm
preventives are simple to administer on a monthly or on a new once-every-sixmonths basis.
Tapeworms: While repulsive in appearance, tapeworms are relatively
benign parasites except in horses. Tapeworms don’t generally cause a lot of
damage to the host animal unless an animal is malnourished. In horses,
tapeworms can cause colic. Tapeworms can be found in cats, dogs, horses and
humans.
Signs of tapeworm infestation are when the pet owner discovers a tapeworm
segment squirming on the hair near a pet’s anus.
Infestations of tapeworms occur when a pet or human accidentally eats infected
fleas or tapeworm eggs. Some species of tapeworms can cause serious illness in
humans but they are rare.
Giardia: Giardia is a very insidious parasite that can be very unpleasant.
Anywhere there is untreated water there is a chance of contacting Giardia.
Giardia can be found in dogs and humans.
Signs of Giardia infestation vary from no symptoms at all, to mild sporadic
diarrhea, violent gastrointestinal upset, explosive diarrhea, cramping and
vomiting.
While drugs can treat the infection, they often are unable to completely eradicate
the parasite. Giardia’s hardy cysts will continue to be shed into the environment
through feces.
Forms of Giardia are known as the bane of outdoors enthusiasts. It is the most
common cause of waterborne disease in the US in humans. While the strain of
Giardia infecting pets, is not highly infectious to humans, cross contamination
does occur.
Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is a parasite spread by ticks and is more
serious in humans than pets. Blood tests detect antibodies. Lyme disease can be
found in dogs and humans.
Signs of Lyme disease include lameness, joint swelling, fever, loss of appetite
and lethargy.
Preventative steps to protect yourself and your pet from parasites include:
Regular veterinary checkup with de-worming, as prescribed by your
veterinarian
Keep back yard, pastures and pens clean of animal droppings
Keep your pet on year round heartworm preventative
Keep pet areas free of breeding sites for mosquitoes and fleas