Parasite Control : for your pets and your family

The benefits of parasite control extend beyond our pets. This is because, in some cases, parasites can also cause health problems in people.  Therefore, appropriate parasite prevention (based on pet’s lifestyle) is extremely important.  

This article outlines the most common parasites that we should be aware of and protect ourselves from.

TICKS

When the weather is nice and we are out of the deep freeze, we tend to be more active outdoors.  Just like us, ticks are awaken from their slumber and are ready to feed (this means either on an animal or person). 

Certain species of ticks can transmit diseases to us and our pets.  One which has received lots of attention is Lyme disease.  The best way to prevent disease transmission is to remove the tick before it feeds.  This means, performing a tick check each and every time after being outdoors.  Unfortunately, finding small ticks hidden within our dogs fur (especially long fur) can be difficult. This is why it is important that tick preventative medications are used.  Ticks are active and preventative medication is recommended anytime the temperature is above 0 degrees Celsius.  In our area, this means close to 12 months of the year. 

Tick Removal Tips

• Remove tick as soon as you see it
• Use fine-tipped tweezers to firmly grasp the tick very close to the skin (try not to squeeze the tick or apply any substance onto the tick before removal)
• Pull the tick away in one steady motion
• Clean the skin with soap and warm water
• Keep the tick for disease identification

FLEAS

Fleas are the most common external parasite found on our pets.  Fleas can cause intense itchiness and can transmit diseases as well.   You may not notice fleas on your pet, especially if your pet is a fastidious groomer.  Sometimes, all you may find are black specks on your pet’s coat.  In many cases, by the time you notice that a pet has fleas, it is likely that there is already a flea population (i.e. eggs, larvae, and pupae) living in your home. 

Since the entire flea life cycle is only a few weeks, the ideal flea product should be long-lasting and target various life stages to kill fleas properly.  Fleas can live indoors through the winter so pets in a higher risk environment should be on flea control year-round. Over-the-counter products are simply not effective, so please use a veterinarian prescribed product.  

IMPORTANT : Do not use permethrin-containing products on cats as it is toxic to this species. 

HEARTWORM

Heartworm is exactly what its name implies: worms in the heart.  It is a parasitic infection caused by Dirofilaria immitis and is spread by mosquitoes.  The mosquito would feed from an infected dog, drinking in larvae heartworms called microfilariae.  The microfilariae will then go through several larval life stages within the mosquito.   When this mosquito feeds on another dog, the heartworm larvae is transmitted to the new host, where the larvae will continue its development.  As young adult worms, they will travel to the dog’s heart where they will clog the circulation and cause inflammation. Luckily, we get a break during our cold winters when mosquitoes are dormant.

Even though the prevalence of heartworm is low, heartworm disease is endemic in our area.  Therefore, annual testing is important to make sure that heartworm disease is promptly diagnosed, if present.  The earlier we can treat an infected dog, the better.  Treatment of a heartworm infected dog is very expensive, and not without risks.  Therefore, monthly preventative medication during mosquito season is important for our dogs, especially if they travel to the United States, where heartworm disease is much more common. 

There have been cases of heartworm disease in cats.  Due to the low prevalence of disease in our area, routine use of heartworm preventative medications have not been recommended for all cats.  It is certainly a good idea for those cats that spend time outdoors. 

INTESTINAL PARASITES

There are numerous intestinal parasites that can be found in our dogs and cats.  These include roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.  Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite found in this area.  They also pose a zoonotic risk, especially to children.

Depending on the type of intestinal parasite, our pets can be infected by/from:

• infected bitch/queen in utero or during nursing
• consuming infective worm eggs from the environment (generally through normal grooming)
• eating a prey animal that is carrying developing worms
• ingesting infected fleas (carrying tapeworms)

Intestinal parasites is a common cause of gastrointestinal upset (vomiting & diarrhea) in our pets. 

Not all pets that are infected will show clinical signs. However, infected pets can still act as carriers and pass on the parasites to other pets or ourselves.   Therefore, it is prudent that all pets should have their fecal matter checked for parasites at least 1-2 times a year, in addition to routine deworming.  Regular deworming is especially important for puppies & kittens due to their life stage and for cats/dogs that hunt.