Pick Up Poop
Having your pet’s stool tested for parasites is one of the most basic health care responsibilities a pet owner has – yet two thirds of our patients are not regularly tested for worms. Why should you care?
- They can make your pet sick. Especially vulnerable: puppies and kittens; sick or elderly pets; pets on immune-suppressant drugs such as prednisone and cyclosporin.
- Every pet is exposed. Outdoor cats that hunt and dogs that go to the dog park have the most parasite exposure but parasite eggs are everywhere your pet goes outside the home.
- They can make people sick, too. 1-3 million people, mostly children, become infected every year with roundworms. Most develop flu-like symptoms. Hundreds suffer permanent eye or brain damage. Untested and untreated pets spread disease to humans. Are you putting your kids or your neighbor’s kids at risk?
- 95% of puppies and kittens have parasites. Most adult cats harbor parasite larvae in their bodies for the rest of their lives. When a cat becomes ill or elderly these dormant parasites can awaken and cause disease.
- They are extremely common. Virtually all outdoor cats have intestinal parasites. 17% of all dogs in the Midwest, and over 30% of dogs in animal shelters, have intestinal parasites – about 1 in 5. You may live with one of them.
- We forget to protect pets. Once-a-month heartworm pills help to prevent intestinal parasites. Unfortunately, less than half of dog owners and less than 5% of cat owners remember to give these medications to their pets each month.
- Wildlife provides a constant source of new parasites to backyard pets. Raccoons, skunks, rabbits, stray cats and many other creatures spread worms to our pets.
- They are gross and icky, so we try not to think about them. Most people don’t want to think of their pets having worms in their bodies all the time. Alas, pretending your pet doesn’t have them doesn’t do much good.
$30 and a teaspoon of feces once a year is all it takes to protect your pet, your family and your neighborhood. Scoop the poop! It’s the responsible thing to do.
Dog Intestinal Parasite Quiz
1) Which intestinal parasite is the most likely to be fatal to adult dogs?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
2) Which parasite is the most likely to cause bloody diarrhea?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
3) Which one is only prevented by Interceptor and Sentinel, and not by Heartgard or TriHeart?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
4) Which one is least likely to cause disease in humans?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
5) Which parasite is particularly common in Coonhounds?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
Cat Intestinal Parasite Quiz
1) What percentage of cats harbors parasites in their bodies?
a. Less than 25% b. 25-50% c. 50-75% d. Over 75%
2) What percentage of kittens has the protozoal parasite Giardia?
a. Less than 25% b. 25-50% c. 50-75% d. Over 75%
3) How do cats get tapeworms?
a. From fleas b. From eating rodents c. From eating birds d. All of the above
4) Which of the following intestinal parasites are not worms but microscopic protozoa?
a. Coccidia b. Giardia c. Toxoplasmosis d. All of the above
5) Which parasite do cats usually not get?
a. Roundworms b. Hookworms c. Whipworms
Dog Quiz Answers: The correct answer to all 5 questions is Whipworms.
Cat Quiz Answers: D B D D C