Parasite prevention for your pets

When thinking of the word parasite, many things come mind.  None of them are good.  No one likes a parasite. Though they have evolved to exist and live besides or within the hosts they plague, they remain unloved and unwanted.  And that is OK by me.

This feeling of abhorrence is as natural as the interactions between these pests and their hosts.  The parasite’s goal is to live in conjunction with the animal they live upon or within.  They must coexist and obtain some benefit from the host organism in order to survive, multiply and procreate.  They don’t wish any major harm to come of the host, as it is often their meal ticket.  After all, the word “parasite” is derived from the Greek word “parasitos” meaning “one who eats at another’s table”.  Nevertheless, I want to focus on how these natural evolutionary companions can be controlled keeping our pets and ourselves as free of them as possible !

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It is fairly common for our cats and dogs to become infected with an internal or an external parasite at some point in its lifetime. Parasites can affect your pet in a variety of ways, ranging from simple irritation to causing life-threatening conditions if left untreated. Some parasites can infect and transmit diseases to people.  This type of transmission of a disease or condition from an animal to a human being is a zoonosis.  Some zoonotic conditions can be quite serious public health concerns.

Parasites can infect humans

For many people, pets are an important part of the family circle. Naturally, you want to protect your family and your children in particular, from needless exposure to internal parasites such as worms and external parasites such as fleas. Yes, our beloved pets can harbor zoonotic parasites that may potentially be transmitted to their human family.

Internal parasites such as some intestinal worms are invaders that are often acquired during early life directly from the mother’s body (i.e. via milk or across the placenta) or later from the pet’s environment (e.g. yard, neighborhood, parks, etc.).  They are also acquired if the dog or cat consumes prey that has been hunted down.  Even the lowly common tapeworm is typically contracted when our pets ingest a flea that has been contaminated by a microscopic tapeworm larva!  The life cycles of such intestinal parasites are often complex and unique. Your veterinarian possesses the knowledge and tools to test for, eliminate and prevent many of these type pests from causing problems or harm.

Some important facts about the more common cat and dog intestinal worms:

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- Toxocara (a type of roundworm or ascarid) is a zoonotic parasite that can be acquired from soil/sand contaminated with the feces of cats and dogs. It is of little concern for pregnant women but does pose a potential risk to infants and small children. Roundworm eggs are extremely hardy and remain in the environment (e.g., dirt, sandboxes) for up to several years in the Pacific NW climate. They cannot be decontaminated with bleach or other standard antiseptics.  Prevent with monthly heartworm tablets or topicals.

-Baylisascaris (the raccoon roundworm) can infect people, as well as a variety of other animals, including dogs. Human infections are thankfully rare, but can be severe if the parasite eggs are inadvertently ingested then invade the eye (ocular larva migrans), organs (visceral larva migrans) or the brain (neural larva migrans). In some dogs, ingested Baylisascaris eggs may develop into adult worms and then pass these dangerous eggs in the pets' feces.  Keep dogs away from raccoon latrine sites or nesting areas.  The same heartworm preventative tablets or topicals that block dog roundworms work vs. Baylisascaris worms too.  Cats may be also adversely affected by the migrating larval damage, but never develop or spread the adult worms.

- Dogs and cats with tapeworm infections usually are not sick and do not lose weight from the worms. Contrary to popular belief, dogs that “scoot” on their rear ends are generally doing it for reasons other than having tapeworms, such as blocked or irritated anal sacs (pouches located in your dog’s rear end) or other skin inflammation of the rear.  Tapeworms can reduce the pet’s comfort level, may result in mild diarrhea, and often compromise their nutrition. Furthermore, they are unpleasant and should be treated when identified even if your pet exhibits minimal signs.  Try to prevent your pet from hunting and eating prey to avoid tapeworms.  In addition, you should always use excellent flea control.

Don’t forget about fleas

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Fleas are insects that parasitize the skin and fur coats of our dogs and cats.  The actual flea species commonly seen on the dogs of our area is really the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Our flea season can be year round in Seattle due to our mild climate, yet it truly kicks into a higher gear from May through November most years.  It is essential to understand the flea life cycle in order to be most successful at preventing fleas from infesting your pet and your home.  Your veterinary team is the most informed about this important concept and what you can do to control these annoying pests.  The flea is a blood feeder in its adult form, and the females are quite prolific with the ability to lay upwards of 50 eggs per day when feeding consistently.  Very quickly a few fleas can multiply becoming many and thus creating an infestation which is much harder to deal with!

- While fleas are primarily an annoyance, they can carry other illnesses and some dogs and cats may be highly allergic to flea bites.  Dealing with fleas requires both controlling flea populations in your pet's environment and killing fleas on your pet.

Proactive prevention can stop fleas

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To control fleas well, you must stop them from reproducing and thus break their life cycle. Carpets, pet bedding, furniture, and other indoor areas where your dog spends much time will contain the highest number of developing fleas in their immature stages.  Frequent vacuuming of these areas (throw the vacuum cleaner bag away afterwards) and regularly washing your pet’s bedding can greatly reduce the number of developing fleas inside your home.  In some cases, home premise insecticide spraying or even professional pest control help (e.g. Flea Busters) may be necessary once an infestation has been established indoors.  To avoid fleas infesting your abode, proactive prevention is the best solution, and it starts by directly treating the cat and dog.  Monthly flea treatments are available under the guidance of your veterinarian and should be used regularly.

Check your pet for fleas regularly

Although your pet may be harboring fleas, they are not always easy to find. Waiting for it to become scratchy and itchy is not being proactive. One of the best methods for checking your dog or cat for fleas is to look for flea dirt (actually flea feces) in your pet’s hair coat:

- To check for flea dirt, briskly comb or rub a section of the hair on your pet’s back while they are sitting or lying on a white piece of paper. If your friend has fleas, black flecks that look like dirt (as a result, we use the term “flea dirt”) will fall onto the surface for you to see clearly. If you transfer these black flecks to a damp piece of paper towel or tissue, in a short time they will appear red or rust-colored.

(The red color results because blood sucked from your pet is therefore partly digested and passed in the flea’s waste matter. If the dirt specks do not turn red, then they are probably just plain old dirt.)

Create parasite prevention program for your pet

In summary, each and every pet has a unique and individual lifestyle of its own. Your veterinarian can help you tailor the complete parasite prevention program that best fits you and your pet’s particular needs.  Discuss how to be proactive against all potentially unhealthy parasites with your professional veterinary team and then select what is right for you.

Making sure your pet is on a year-round parasite control program is good health care for your pet and your family!

-Mark Donovan, DVM

Dr. Donovan earned his degree with Honors from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). His veterinary interests include soft-tissue surgery, endocrinology, epidemiology, and zoonotic diseases.

Dr. Donovan enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, hiking and backpacking, snowboarding, playing tennis, gardening, going to Mariners games, and reading.