Protect Your Pet!
Tips to help keep your pet pest-free
By: Kathleen M. Reilly

What Are They?
The most common intestinal parasites in young animals are hookworms and roundworm, says Dr. Bruce Hammerburg, professor of parasitology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "Most roundworm infections are limited to very young animals." Dr. Hammerberg says. "They can receive roundworm larvae from their mothers while still in the uterus." Once inside the animal, the parasite colonizes the intestine and begins reproducing. "Roundworms are irritants that compete for nutrients," explains Dr. Hammerberg. "That can lead to some bouts of diarrhea and lack of growth in the pet. Hookworkms on the other hand are blood feeders. They attach to the lining of the small intestine and feed on the pet's blood."
Another parasite, the tapeworm, is quite common in dogs and cats, says Dr. Anne Zajac, veterinary parasitologist and associate professor at the Virginia/Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. "Tapeworms are carried by fleas." Dr. Zajac says "They are not transmitted by the dog or cat snaps at the flea infestation." Whipworm, while less common, is another parasite that may infect dogs past puppy hood.

How Do You Know If Your Pet Has Parasites?
"Once the animal is infected, the worms grow, mature, mate, and start producing eggs that come out in the feces," says Dr. Zajac. "Owners can see roundworms because they're quite big. Tapeworms are segmented, and the end segment is passed out of the animal too. They look like rice grains." Your veterinarian should conduct a yearly feces examination on your pet to look for these worms, and you should let him know if you see anything suspicious.
Apart from identifying the actual parasites, your pet may show signs of their presence in other ways, too. "An animal with parasites will often have a big pot belly and scruffy coat," says Dr. Hammerberg. "Whipworm will cause an inflammation of the large bowel. There might be mild loose stool or blood-streaked stool."

How Can They Be Prevented?
Even though newborn animals under good care are routinely examined parasites, your new puppy or kitten might have worms that you don't know about. When you young pet visits the veterinarian, deworming is usually scheduled every 3 weeks until the animal is 12 weeks old to ensure that any intestinal parasites are killed. After that, routine deworming should be a regular part of your pet's visits to the veterinarian.
If your pet has been given a regular heartworm preventive from your veterinarian, intestinal parasites prevention may already be accounted for. "Many heartworm preventives have a crossover effect,' says Dr. Hammerberg. Ask your veterinarian if heartworm medication your pet is taking covers parasites, too.
Since ingestion of the egg produced by adult worms is one of the primary ways your pet can become a host to intestinal parasites, keeping the yard, kennel, or run clean is extremely important. "They very best prevention is cleaning up after your pet," says Dr. Zajac. "Removing feces from the environment as soon as it is deposited is far better than the treatment of existing parasites in the animal." Keeping your pet's environment clean, along with a regular deworming program, can help keep your pet pest free and healthy.
Your climate may affect the potential for parasites, too. "In the southeastern United States, we have environmental conditions that are warm and moist, so when parasites come out of the host in the form of eggs, they survive very well," Dr. Zajac says. The eggs can last in the environment for years and continue to infect unwitting pets.
"Any time you get a new pet, be sure you take it to the veterinarian to have it tested for parasites and treated appropriately," says Dr. Zajac. There are several effective drugs available for use in treating parasites, and these along with routine deworming and keeping your pet's environment clean can prevent your pet from becoming sick. Visit your pet and provide you with guidelines to help keep your pet parasite-free all year long.

Kathleen M. Reilly is a freelance writer living in North Carolina. She frequently writes on animal's health and welfare issues.

Recognizing The Signs

The following signs can alert you that your pet might a problem with intestinal parasites. If you recognize these signs in your cat or dog, visit your veterinarian as soon as possible so your pet can be treated effectively.

Common signs of hookworm:

Itching, rash

Poor appetite

Weakness

Pale gums

Weight Loss

Dark stools or constipation

Diarrhea

Common signs of roundworm:

Weakness

Dull coat

Potbelly appearance

Vomiting of adult worms

Diarrhea

Poor appetite

Coughing

Worms in feces