Parasites.
We all carry a certain parasite load. It's not as scary as it sounds. We have come to live with a multitude of microscopic organisms that survive along with us and for the most part cause us no harm. It's only when those levels increase beyond a certain threshold that we start to see pathological changes because of parasites. Pets are no different.
All manner of pets, from horses right down to goldfish are susceptible to parasites. Our dogs and cats share our living spaces intimately with us. Many of the people reading this right now sleep with their pets, a greater number let them on the couch while they watch movies and all of us share the ground we walk on. If you only have outside dogs and cats and never walk on your own lawn, this blog is not for you. Several of the species of parasites that affect our cats and dogs can also infect and parasitize us. Sometimes in the same ways, more frequently in different ways.
Tapeworms are flat worms that can reach two feet in length. They attach to the inside of the intestinal wall and release egg packets into the environment via the pet's anus. These are the worms that coat the outside of the pets anal area and look like little grains of rice. These worms have to go through a life cycle change and to do that they need to go through what is called an intermediate host. In the case of the tapeworm that host is the flea. I don't care what someone else told you, if your pet has an active tape worm infection they have swallowed an infected flea. If there are enough fleas around for your pet to be swallowing them then there are fleas in your environment. If there are fleas in your environment and your dog sleeps with you do you really think you won't swallow one in your sleep? Flea prevention suddenly seems a lot more important doesn't it? Here's some more information on tapeworms: Tapeworms
Hookworms are like tiny little vampires or creatures out of a horror movie. They have mouth parts that look absolutely alien and they use these parts to attach to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood. These parasites do not need to go through an intermediate host. They simply need to be given enough time to hatch and mature to an infective state. The for this to happen is seven to twelve days. This means, again using the sleeping on your bed analogy, if your pet has long fur or loose stoll and gets a small amount of feces in their fur or on their feet and you don't bathe them every week (you shouldn't bathe your pet every week it can really dry their skin) you could be coming into contact with infective stage hookworm larvae in your sleep. These larvae typically crawl through the skin causing a linear shaped rash commonly referred to as "creeping eruption." It is possible for people to have intestinal hookworm infestations but this is not as common. The most common place people come into contact with hookworms is walking barefoot in areas where dogs and cats are defecating. Hookworms are controlled and prevented by most heart worm preventatives. More information about hookworms: Hookworms Hookworms 2
Roundworms are the most common parasite of dogs and cats. These are the classic spaghetti shaped worms that you may see vomited up or passed in feces in extreme cases. These worms are incredibly hardy and the infective eggs can remain active in the environment for years. Dogs can get roundworms by either ingesting feces or soil that has infective eggs. They can also pick up round worms by eating small animals that are currently infected themselves. Humans typically do not come into contact with round worms in their homes as it takes around one month for the eggs to become infective. It is typically feces in the yard or in parks and on beaches that cause humans to be infected with roundworms. Roundworms can spread to the internal organs including the lungs and liver and cause serious disease. They can also spread to the eyes and cause blindness. Most heart worm preventatives help to prevent roundworm infestation as well. More information on Roundworms can found here: Roundworm Roundworm 2
This wasn't meant to scare you into not spending quality time with your pet. The human animal bond is very important to us in veterinary medicine and our goal is to improve and preserve that bond. My point in writing this was to illuminate the possible risks to you when we don't take action to prevent and control infestation with these parasites. The three problems above can be easily controlled with monthly application of flea and heartworm preventatives. This is why we train all of our staff to ask you everytime you come in if you need any of these products. These diseases are also the major reason we recommend yearly fecal exams on all pets. It's not just for Fluffy and Cuddles but also for their owners!
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