Topic of the Month: Fleas, Heartworm, Intestinal Parasites

Parasitism is a very common problem with dogs and cats. It can be very destructive, but the good news is these problems are largely preventable. Since we don't visualize most of these critters, the problems often manifest without our knowing. This is why routine testing and prevention is so important!

We commonly have some very logical questions posed. They include:

• My dog or cat is indoors, why do I need heartworm preventive?
  The answer is that mosquitos carry this destructive disease. Not only can they enter your house, but the environment in the house is very calm, so an indoor mosquito is much more likely to bite your dog or cat than one outdoors. On top of that, these products also have intestinal parasite prevention as well. We can bring parasites and their eggs in the house on our shoes and our clothing.
• I have children, should I be worried?
  The answer to this question is that you need to be proactive. Children can be parasitized by hookworm and roundworms, causing skin and eye problems. Having the animal on a preventive helps reduce this risk. Children also can ingest fleas, leading to tapeworm infestation. Thus, flea prevention is paramount with children in the house.
• Should i use heartworm preventive year-round?
  Absolutely! Heartworm preventive only kills very new aquisitions of heartworm. If it persists for many weeks in the animal, the prevention will not kill it. For this reason, monthly use is indicated. Again, remember too that these products kill intestinal parasites--these know no season since they are spread through feces!
• How about flea prevention in winter?
  Many clients choose to stop flea and/or tick products in the winter. It is a fact that risks are lower in very cold periods, but all it takes is one warm January day for a bunny to hop through your yard, drop thousands of flea eggs, and they may parasitize your animal. If the cat or dog brings the fleas in the house, you will likely have an infestation all winter long. Also, warm-blooded animals carry fleas, so exposure to other infested animals (pets or wild) can cause an infestation. So we never tell anyone they should stop flea prevention.
• If I have my dog on preventive, why should I do routine intestinal parasite fecal exams, and heartworm testing?
  This is because any medication has the potential to fail, your dog may vomit a pill without your knowledge, and these diseases are very destructive to animals and people. If a dog on preventive gets parasites, we can help you alter your plan.

We hope this helps. This obviously represents only a few topics, so if you have any further questions, or would like advice on which preventive products to use, please ask!