Those nasty bugs! How to keep your home clear of them:
There are many types of medications available and it can get confusing. We want you to consider what type of prevention is important to you.
The four types of parasites that can cause problems are:
(1) Intestinal worms. Pets can pick up worms by ingesting anything contaminated with fecal material (containing parasite eggs) from other animals (wildlife or pets). All pets going outdoors are at risk of picking these up, it is just a fact of life. Most pets will not display symptoms of illness until it is advanced and contrary to popular belief, you will not see the worms in the stool!
(2) Fleas. These can be picked up in three ways: contact with an infected animal; walking through an area with hatching flea eggs; and from a person that has a “hitchhiker” flea travelling with them. One flea can turn into thousands very quickly and we do not want your house to become infested.
(3) Ticks. In Ontario, ticks are becoming more prevalent. Deer ticks can carry Lyme disease along with other less known infections (Anaplasma and Ehrlichia). Ticks can attach and infect both people and animals. A large part of disease prevention is to remove the tick from the skin (person or animal) as quickly as possible (12 hours or less after attachment is thought best). We now have a safe, non-toxic, oral medication that you can give .
(4) Heartworm. These are worms that can live in the blood vessels leading out of the heart. Dogs can develop this infection by being bitten by an infected mosquito. It can take years to develop into heart failure and dogs with early infections will not display symptoms.
For more information visit: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources
Both intestinal worm and flea infestations will pose a health risk to your family. Please visit this websites for more information: http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/promo/services/
You may pick up medication to prevent intestinal worms, fleas and ticks without a blood test. However, if you want Heartworm prevention, we require to have an up to date negative heartworm test. This is required for the safe use of the medication.
Regardless of whether you decide to give a medication that prevents heartworm disease, Dr. Morris feels a yearly blood and urine test will benefit your pet . Information obtained will screen for diabetes, evaluate kidney and liver function, detect electrolyte imbalances, and detect protein and/or blood loss. These results are evaluated each year and compared to the previous year, allowing Dr. Morris to see subtle trends that can lead to early detection of a problem.
Human Infections
We all love and treat our pets as family members. We must keep in mind that pets and people can share certain infections with one another! Certain parasites (intestinal worms, fleas, mites) and bacteria can cause serious harm to our pets and to our family. Infants, the elderly, the ill and the immunocompromised are at highest risk for infection.
Good hygiene is important for everyone and includes frequent hand washing, not allowing pets to lick faces, and not allowing pets on pillows. We should all pick up dog and cat waste daily, especially in areas where both children and animals play. Covering home sandboxes will protect them from fecal contamination. Wildlife can also carry infectious parasites and bacteria into your neighbourhood.
Protect your whole family from infection by:
- Having your pet’s stool tested once or twice a year
- Administering a monthly intestinal parasite preventative medication
- Using a safe flea preventative medication
Parasites can infect your pet any time of year. For more information visit: http://www.capcvet.org and
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Helping animals in Aurora, Newmarket, Sharon, Keswick, King City, Richmond Hill, Oak Ridges, Markham and Stouffville.
