Parasites are more than a nuisance; they are also capable of spreading disease. This makes
ANNUAL TESTING
and monthly parasite preventatives vital to your pet’s health.
Dogs and cats need all the protection they can get against fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites. At the Veterinary Medical Center of Easton, we offer the highest-quality parasite preventatives to prevent infestations and diseases spread by ticks, fleas, and other pests.
Below, we discuss in more detail the various types of parasites that can pose a threat to your pet.
Intestinal Parasites
The most common intestinal parasites affecting dogs and cats are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, giardia, and tapeworms. The eggs of these worms, which are microscopic, are often found in soil or left behind by infected animals. It is very easy for our pets to unknowingly ingest these eggs and become infected themselves. The eggs can also be tracked into your home by hitching a ride on your shoe. Intestinal parasites can often be treated, but routine fecal exams are necessary to diagnose them first so treatment can be provided. With monthly preventatives, your dog or cat can avoid becoming a host for intestinal worms and live a healthier life.
Fleas & Ticks
External parasites like fleas and ticks are another problem for dogs and cats that can be avoided with year-round preventatives. Both of these pests can be carried into the house on your clothes, shoes, or even furniture (be wary of yard sale furniture!). Fleas and ticks can both cause lots of irritation for your pet, resulting in allergic reactions, hair loss on certain parts of the body, skin infections, and more. On top of that, ticks are capable of spreading diseases to pets and sometimes even humans. Lyme disease is transmissible to pets and humans and can cause painful and inflamed joints, fever, and loss of appetite. Other tick-borne diseases include Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Fleas are not common disease vectors, but they can occasionally pass on tapeworms to dogs and cats.
We highly recommend year-round prevention to keep these pests and the diseases they transmit far away from your pet!
Heartworms
Heartworms are tiny roundworms transmitted by mosquitoes when the worms are in their larval stage. When a pet becomes infected, it can take months for them to show clinical signs. When signs do occur, they usually include coughing, exercise intolerance/rapid fatigue, and lethargy. In a worst-case scenario, sudden death may occur. The seriousness of being infected by heartworms makes year-round heartworm prevention essential to your pet’s health and safety.
Heartworm Disease FAQ
For an in-depth look at what heartworm disease is, how it affects pets, and more, check out our heartworm FAQ below.
What is heartworm disease?
A heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that travels through your pet’s bloodstream and eventually takes up residence in the blood vessels around the heart or lungs. In the early stages of infection, dogs and cats usually do not show clinical signs, so it can be difficult to tell if they are infected. Also, testing them for heartworm when the infection is still in its earliest stages may not yield a positive result. As the infection progresses, however, clinical signs will become apparent. These signs include loss of appetite, weight loss, and breathing difficulties. Ultimately, heartworm disease can end in heart failure.
How is heartworm disease spread?
Not every mosquito carries heartworm larvae, but mosquitoes are the primary vector for spreading the infection. When a mosquito bites an animal infected with heartworm, it takes in some of the larvae when it feeds on its host. Then, it moves onto another host and when it feeds again, the heartworm larvae enter the second host’s bloodstream. Feral cats, coyotes, and other wildlife can carry heartworm disease, so carrier mosquitoes will always be a problem. Fortunately, pets can’t spread heartworms to each other, but if your pet does have heartworms, they are technically a carrier and can be a source of infection for other pets nearby. This makes continuous heartworm prevention vital to your pet’s care.
What are the signs of heartworm in dogs and cats?
Dogs
In the early stages of heartworm disease, many dogs may not show symptoms. However, the longer the infection persists, the more likely you’ll see your pup develop symptoms, such as:
- Mild cough
- Reluctance to exercise
- Fatigue after moderate activity
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
Cats
Much like with dogs, symptoms of heartworm in cats can be severe or just barely noticeable. Here are a few things to watch for:
- Coughing
- Asthma attacks
- Vomiting
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
How is heartworm disease diagnosed?
Heartworm disease can be diagnosed in a couple of different ways in pets. First, it can be diagnosed through blood testing, the most common method. A tiny blood sample is taken from your pet and evaluated for a heartworm antigen that stimulates a response from the immune system.
However, if the infection is still in its infancy, a blood test may not yield a positive result even if your pet does have heartworm disease, as there may not be sufficient antigens in your pet’s blood to get a positive result. The blood test may require further tests such as CBC, thyroid testing, etc. to get an accurate result.
Other ways to diagnose heartworm disease in pets include taking X-rays of the heart and lungs or taking echocardiograms to evaluate heart function.
How can I protect my dog or cat from heartworms?
The short answer: PREVENTION! PREVENTION! PREVENTION! There are a few things you can do to keep mosquitoes away from your pets, such as using screens, keeping windows and doors closed, or limiting the presence of any stagnant water around your home and yard. But the most effective option is keeping up to date on preventatives!
Are humans susceptible to heartworm disease?
Fortunately, humans cannot develop heartworm disease. While they can become infected with heartworm larvae if they are bitten by an infected mosquito, the larvae cannot survive in their bloodstream.
What do you know about parasites?
