During the month of March, the clinic is going to be having a special for Parasite Awareness, so I decided to write this week’s post about the different parasites that your pet can get, how we diagnose those parasite infections, and how we will treat them. I said last week that hopefully the next post would not be as gross, and while this one does not specifically deal with something such as anal glands, I must admit, parasites and worms are still pretty gross. This is a fairly long post, but I promise, there is plenty of learning to be had!!
Our clinic is offering 15% off of fecal exams and 10% off of dewormers (medication used to treat intestinal parasites) for the month of March.
Parasites are not only nasty, but they can in some cases be life threatening. I will be covering the major parasites that we see on a regular basis and treat often at the clinic. Parasite infection can be easily diagnosed by running a fecal exam on your pet, and generally are easily treatable with a deworming program.
First, we will start with what is known as the “Big Four” of parasites- Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms and Tapeworms.
Roundworms, hookworms and whipworms are all parasites that live within the gastrointestinal tract and some of these worms can even live outside of the GI tract. All worm types have a different kind of life cycle (see the extended article to read more about these lifecycles), but the basics are this: an infected dog has adult worms that lay eggs into the GI tract, these eggs are then passed along to the outside world when your pooch poops. The larvated eggs develop in the environment and are then picked up again by an unsuspecting victim that is usually grooming themselves, minding their own business and licking eggs that were in infected soil that attached to their coats. In the case of the hookworm, they are also infected by skin contact to infected soil. Meaning when your pet walks onto infected soil, these worms actually migrate through the skin. OH MY GOSH. Disgusting! And, not to freak you out even more, (although it will), hookworms are zoonotic. Meaning they can also infect humans. Makes you want to make sure you or your kids never walk barefoot on white sandy beaches or nice looking yards again, right? Right. Anyways, so the eggs are ingested or picked up through the ground and then go through a long process to mature inside of your pet. Once matured, these worms can cause a multitude of problems. Diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, you name it, worms can most likely cause it. Let’s talk about a few issues from certain parasite infections.
Roundworms
We see roundworms generally on a daily basis at the clinic. They are most common in puppies and kittens because they can be passed from mother to baby in utero or while nursing from a mother that is infected. A heavy load of roundworms can kill young puppies and kittens, which is why we always recommend having a fecal exam done at their first appointment for vaccines (earlier if possible!)
Roundworms are a common cause of diarrhea in young animals and can cause vomiting as well. These worms can even be vomited up! EWW! Roundworms consume the host’s food, and can lead to that general unhealthy look, and a pot-bellied appearance.
Hookworms
Hookworms, as described in the name, have little hooks on their mouth pieces that they use to attach themselves to the intestinal wall of the host. While other parasites feed on the host’s food, hookworms actually feed by drinking their host’s blood. This, as you can imagine, can be incredibly harmful to young animals, or older debilitated animals. If the parasite load is heavy enough, these nasty parasites can actually take so much blood from the host that it can cause anemia and death.
Whipworms
These adult worms embed themselves in the lining of the intestine and like the hookworm, suck blood. Whipworms in large numbers cause tremendous inflammation that can result in a bloody, gooey diarrhea (sorry for the image there!) The diarrhea will readily become chronic and hard to control.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are incredibly gross. Not that the others are not, but we see A LOT of tapeworm infections up at the clinic. Have you ever noticed little pieces of white, rice type objects around Fluffy’s butt? Or maybe on his bedding? Or maybe on your bed? You guessed it. Tapeworm segments. Tapeworms are a little different than the other parasites we have discussed thus far. Tapeworms must actually mature inside of a flea. So, the flea goes about its normal business of sucking the blood of your cat or dog, when to its horror, it is licked away by your pet and ingested. This is the tapeworm’s time to shine. The flea body is digested, and the young tapeworm is released. The tapeworm then uses its six rows of teeth (shudder) to grab on to the intestinal wall of the host. They feed by robbing your pet of their nutrients.
Before we go on to treatment and prevention of parasites, I want to be sure to mention Coccidia.
This parasite is very common in young puppies or kittens, or animals that are housed in large groups (such as a kennel, shelter, or rescue area), however: This is not an indication of poor animal husbandry or care. The animal will suffer from bloody, watery diarrhea. This can be life threatening to young or very small pets. Coccidia is so common in young animals, that it is recommended to have a routine fecal test as soon as possible, whether diarrhea has been seen or not. The diarrhea associated with Coccidia can result in many complicating and serious issues.
Diagnosis: To diagnose a parasite infection, we simply take a sample of stool from your pet and set it up for ten minutes in a special solution with a microscope slide sitting on top of the solution. Basically what happens is all of the parasite eggs float to the top and get stuck to the microscope slide. After ten minutes, we take the slide (using gloves, of course!) and check it out under the microscope. This is where we will find the parasite eggs that tell us exactly what we’re dealing with. It is not uncommon to find more than one type of parasite in young puppies or kittens, and dogs and cats that have not ever been dewormed. Here are a few photos of what some of the eggs look like under the microscope:
Treatment: Depending on what type of parasite infection your pet has, we will use a liquid dewormer such as Strongid, Panacur or Toltrazuril. For tapeworm infections we generally turn to Drontal, which is a pill. When we know what infection we are dealing with, the doctors will choose the appropriate medication. Usually we prescribe the use of a dewormer for a few days in a row to get rid of all of the parasites.
Prevention includes basic animal husbandry practices like picking up your dog’s poop frequently, or cleaning the litter box as often as possible. Yay for you! Tapeworms can only be prevented by preventing fleas, meaning keeping your pet on a flea prevention every 30 days is very important.
Heartworm preventions, along with their awesome ability to prevent heartworm infection, are also parasite preventatives. Heartgard Plus, Trifexis and Advantage Multi are all medications that prevent most of the parasites mentioned today, and when given properly every 30 days, are very effective.
So, what to do with your new found parasite information, besides wow all of your friends? Call and schedule an appointment to have your dog checked out! March is the perfect month to do this with the specials we are currently running, don’t forget: 15% off Fecal Exams and 10% off deworming medications, so give the clinic a call to set up your appointment today! And if anything, remember this information any time you or someone you know gets a new puppy or kitten as intestinal parasites can take the life of these little guys!
Check back in next week for a post about Public Enemy #1: Fleas !
-Your Veterinary Technician
Independence Equine & Small Animal Clinic 