External Parasites
Fleas
Fleas are small biting insects that survive by sucking blood from their animal hosts. Fleas can infect both dogs and cats, as well as other mammals and humans. If they are able to infect your pet and home, it can take months to fully rid them. The best prevention for this is keeping your pet on a monthly flea and tick prevention, including cats that are indoors only.
Ticks
Ticks are another type of parasite that survive off of the blood of mammals. Unlike fleas, they bite and firmly attach themselves to their hosts while sucking blood. They can cause discomfort and local irritation at the bite wound. They can pass along diseases including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and rocky mountain spotted fever. The best prevention for this is monthly flea and tick and keeping up to date on the Lyme vaccine for canines.
Heartworms
Heartworms are a serious health risk for both dogs and cats. They are transmitted by mosquitos and develop and reproduce in the blood and hearts of infected animals. This infestation can cause life threatening heart and lung disease. Treatment of heartworm disease is expensive and can be life threatening itself. The best way to protect against heartworms is to keep your pets on monthly heartworm preventatives year-round.
Intestinal Parasites
Tapeworms
This internal GI parasite can infect dogs and cats at any age, and is transmitted by infected fleas. Typically, animals will be seen ‘scooting’ across the floor, licking at their anal region, and/or small ‘sesame seed like’ material can be seen around the anus as well as small tapeworm segments seen in the feces. Dogs and cats can be treated with an oral deworming medication to treat this parasite; however, the best protection is good flea control.
Roundworms
This is a commonly found parasite in kittens and puppies, but can also be found in older dogs and cats that are not kept on monthly prevention. These worms can cause diarrhea, vomiting, inappetence, and lethargy depending on the number of worms present. These worms can also affect humans, especially young children, with ingestion of contaminated fecal material and causes diseases of the abdominal organs and nervous system. Dogs and cats can be treated with a monthly deworming medication to treat and prevent this parasite.
Hookworms
These parasites attach to the inside walls of the GI tract to feed off of their hosts. They can cause similar symptoms as roundworms, however, are more likely to result in serious blood loss especially in very young animals. They can also infect humans; the infectious stages can penetrate through cracks in the skin (especially the bottoms of feet if walking barefoot) and move around underneath the skin in humans, causing irritation. Dogs and cats can be treated with a monthly deworming medication to treat and prevent this parasite.
Cryptosporidium
This parasite is infectious immediately after being passed in the feces. It causes severe GI signs (vomiting, diarrhea with subsequent dehydration) in both animals and humans that become infected. It is easily transmitted through contact with infected fecal material. Care should be taken when cleaning litter and picking up feces, and immediate hand washing is prudent to prevent infection. Immunosuppressed individuals are particularly susceptible to this parasite and should avoid/limit their contact with the litter pan/fecal material. This parasite is relatively uncommon, and there are not monthly preventatives for it, however, if clinical signs are consistent, we can test for and appropriately treat Cryptosporidium.
Giardia
This parasite is immediately infective (similar to Cryptosporidium) and causes similar GI signs, though can be less severe. It is commonly found in stagnant water sources, and is also transmissible to humans. Care should be taken to wash hands thoroughly and dispose of feces daily. This parasite is very common, and it is recommended that a fecal sample be checked anytime there is ongoing diarrhea so that we can be treat effectively for Giardia.
Points to Remember
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Prevention is cheaper, easier, and safer for you and your pet versus treatment of parasites after infection/infestation. Keep your pet on monthly heartworm and flea/tick preventatives year-round.
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Bring your pets in for annual physical exams, as well as fecal testing, heartworm testing, tick-borne disease testing, and vaccines. Prevention and early detection are the best way to reduce the risk of significant disease caused by parasites.
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Many of the above diseases can be transmitted to humans. Always wash your hands after picking up feces/scooping in the litter box to prevent exposure. Make sure pregnant and immunosuppressed people reduce their exposure to the litter, fecal material, and any cats or dogs with the diseases listed above.