Did you know?
It’s Fairly common for your pet to become infected with an internal parasite during his or her lifetime. These pesky parasites can affect your loved one in many ways, sometimes even causing serious health problems.
Learn the facts about these common Parasites and how can help protect yourself, your family and your pets.

Roundworms:
Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasites found in dogs and cats.
Many pets won’t show initial signs of a roundworm infection. If the infections continue, untreated, it worsens your pets. They may experience diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss.
Can people be harmed by roundworms?
Roundworm eggs can accumulate in soil where your pet does his “business”. These worms can be transferred to you or your family members from infected soil or your pet’s feces. Once infected, these worms pose a significant health risk, especially in children, where they can cause eye, lung and heart damage.
Keep your Pet’s living area clean, remove feces regularly and keep the litter box clean.

Hookworms
It’s Larvae that hatches from eggs that live in the soil and can affect animals and people through skin contact. Pets will also become infected through ingestion of the dirt through routine cleaning (licking).
Hookworms attach to the intestinal lining and feed on a host’s blood. Hookworms pose a serious health risk.
As with other Parasites, keeping your pet’s surroundings clean is the key in preventing hookworm infestation.

Tapeworms
Tapeworms are long, flat and segmented worms. Tapeworm infections are usually diagnosed by finding the segments in your pet’s feces, bedding, or fur around their rear.

Whip Worms
Are one of the four most common intestinal Parasites. Animals will become infected with Whipworms by Ingestion of the eggs through infested soil or feces. Prevention and routine testing are the key in keeping your pet protected against whipworms.

Coccidia:
Coccidia are common protozoal parasite that live in a dog’s intestinal walls. More common affecting puppies, coccidia can lead to Coccidiosis, an intestinal disease that causes diarrhea. Severe infections cause bloody diarrhea and can become serious.
Since coccidia are found most often in puppies, it’s important to have puppies routinely examined for parasites with fecal test.

Prevention:
Unfortunately, it is fairly common for pets to become infected with an internal or external parasite during their lifetime. These pesky parasites can affect your loved one in a variety of ways, sometimes even causing serious health problems.

It’s important to have your pet routinely tested for intestinal parasites. Keep your pet on a heartworm prevention as most of these products also provide deworming for intestinal parasites.
If your pet is infected with any of intestinal Parasites, Call us today at 813-920-0303 and we can find the prevention protocol that fits your pet and family’s lifestyles best.