Most of us consider out pets to be more than just animals.  They are our friends, our companions, our helpers, our support in times of grief, and member of our family.  Just as with other members of our family, it is important to see that our pets are healthy and free of unwanted visitors, such as ticks, fleas, whipworms, ear mites, and heartworms, as well as many others.

These pests can make our pets lives unhealthy and uncomfortable.  They can also affect our lives similarly.  It is up to our veterinarian to diagnose and safely treat parasites and other problems, but there are some measure we can take to prevent them visiting, and to keep their damaging affects to a minimum.  These measures include the following.

1.  Practice good personal hygiene, including washing your hands before handling food, and discouraging your pets from making contact with your mouth and the mouths of your children.

2.  Feed your pets only cooked foods or food specially processed and prepared for pets.  Make it the best quality food you can afford.

3.  Clean up your pet`s feces immediately and dispose of them appropriately.

4.  Avoid exposure to high-traffic pet areas.  These areas should be disinfected as well as cleaned.

5.  Board your pets only in kennels that allow only pets that have been fully vaccinated, and treated for ticks, fleas, and heartworms.

6.  Have your pet checked at least annually and inquire about any parasite risks specific to your area.  Even if some parasites are only evident during warmer months, if not destroyed, they may survive within the home throughout the winter.

8.  Treat your pets for ticks, fleas, and heartworms year round.

Because pets are pets and because they have some rather unclean habits, they are bound to, sooner or later, pick up a few parasites or even many.  These may merely cause itching or irritation, but other may be life-threatening.  Some can also present a health risk to you and your family, while others are species specific.

Fleas and ticks can both carry and transmit several unpleasant conditions.  Infected fleas can transmit tapeworm to your pets.  The tapeworm robs your pets body of nourishment and, when grown, lays eggs which are later expelled in the feces, and can then be picked up by other pets and humans alike.  Tick bites are responsible for both Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease.

There are year-round preventive measures that you and your veterinarian can take to prevent the potential risks both these pests present to you and your family.

Always visually check your pet for ticks when they return from outdoors.  Run your hands over their bodies to check for tiny lumps and comb and brush long-haired pets regularly.

Roundworms,

hookworms,

whipworms, and

tapeworms, can all exist in the intestines of both dogs and cats.  One of these worms is capable of laying over one hundred thousand eggs per day.  These eggs are expelled in the animal`s feces and can present a health risk to you and other pets.  Roundworms can, in their immature state, travel to literally any tissue in the body, including the brain, eyes, and as you see above, the feet.  They can cause serious infections.

Safe and simple medications can rid your pet of these unwanted guests, and simple sanitary habits can prevent you and your family from becoming infected when outdoors.

Heartworms present a very serious threat to the lives of dogs and cats.    Although the disease is treatable, the treatment is long, unpleasant, and complicated with no guarantee of success.  Infected mosquitoes pass the parasite on to cats and dogs where the growing heartworms are able to move into the bloodstream, lungs and heart and very quickly debilitate the animal.  Year round prevention will safeguard your pet from potential misery and death.

There are other parasites that may affect your pets, including coccidia, which are a single celled organism which invades the intestines of dogs, often causing severe diarrhea.  It is more dangerous to puppies than grown dogs, does not affect humans, and can be treated easily.

Giardia is another one celled organism infesting the intestines.  It can affect both animals and humans.  It seems that human giardia can pass to dogs and back again, but the type of giardia found exclusively in dogs does not pass to humans.  There is a safe, effective treatment for both forms.

Mange Mites can cause severe itching and skin infections in animals.  In extreme cases the infections can cause death.  Fur loss is the most obvious symptom.  Affected animals must have medical treatment immediately.  Animal mange does not transmit to humans.

Ear Mites are a very common and distressing parasite for both dogs and cats.  The bites itch; the animal scratches; the bite becomes in infected, and damage results.  Prompt medical attention is needed and the mites can quickly be dealt with.  People cannot get ear mites from their pets.

Time, vigilance, and maybe even a few dollars are the price we must pay for the health and comfort of both our pets and ourselves.

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