An overview on pet ownership...
Preventative care
for internal and external parasites
is essential for good health in your pet.
Internal & External Parasites Overview:
FLEAS: Fleas are wingless, bloodsucking insects that may cause excessive grooming, hair lose, anemia, and tapeworm infection. Because fleas reproduce so rapidly, an infested animal can bring them into your home and quickly cause a sever flea infestation. Fleas can also transmit deadly diseases such as Hemobartonella to your pet.
TICKS: Ticks acquire blood borne disease when they bite infected deer, and then bite your pet, transferring the disease. Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Fever, and Ehrlichia are all blood borne diseases transmitted by ticks. There are a wide range of symptoms including fever, lethargy, vomiting, and seizures, although sometimes there are no symptoms at all. Although there is treatment for these diseases, early detection is important. Treatment can be costly and if undiagnosed these diseases can be fatal.
HEARTWORMS: As well as in our canine friends, heartworms can also be fatal in cats. Transmitted to cats and dogs by infected mosquitoes, feline heartworm is difficult to diagnose and currently there is no approved treatment at this time – it is only possible to prevent it. Both indoor and outdoor pets are susceptible to heartworm infection. Just one adult heartworm can be fatal, and prevalence is estimated to be from 5-20% of cats in Georgia.
EAR MITES: Ear mites are highly contagious parasites that live on the skin, feeding off the surface of the ear canal. An infected cat or dog will typically have a brown or black crusty discharge in the ear (similar to coffee grounds). Other indicators include chronic ear scratching, head shaking, and/or bloody, painful ears. If left untreated, ear mites can cause secondary ear infections, ear pain, and deformed ears.
HOOKWORMS & ROUNDWORMS: Both of these types of worms are common intestinal, bloodsucking parasites that use their hook-like mouthpart to latch on to the lining of the intestinal wall. When these worms reside in your pet's intestines, they rob good nutrition and overall health from their body. The vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and dehydration associated with intestinal parasites will weaken an animal, thus making your pet more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections and diseases.
Diagnosing and Treatment
Fecal Exam to Check for Parasites: Our staff at the clinic will take a fecal sample from your pet and examine their stool under the microscope to look for any worm eggs. Fecal exams are primarily used to detect hookworms, roundworms, giardia, coccidian, and tapeworms. Many kittens and puppies from shelters, breeders, or outdoor strays have worms. Often, kittens and puppies acquire intestinal parasites from their mother.
Intestinal parasites can cause malnutrition, poor growth, loss of blood, and even death in young animals. Fecal exams provide a quick and easy way to determine which deworming medication is necessary to treat for certain worms.
Oral Deworming: Dr. Brousse can administer an oral drug that will eliminate adult roundworms and hookworms. It is important to remember that dewormer only kills adult worms (not eggs or larval stages) so it is necessary to deworm at least twice in kittens and puppies and no longer than 21 days apart.