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Parasite Information for Pet Owners

Parasites — how to protect your pets and family from these sneaky pests

Pets love adventure, travel, and socializing. But these adventures and everyday life can expose our furry friends to parasites, both at home and in the places we visit.

Parasites are good at hiding

Parasites come in different forms — some you can see, and some that are microscopic. Certain parasites show signs and make it clear that your pet is sick (like diarrhea), while others stay hidden. Your pet may not show noticeable signs of infection, especially at first. 

And it’s a fact of pet life; almost every dog and cat will get parasites more than once in their lifetime.

The two main types of parasites: intestinal and vector-borne

  1. Intestinal Parasites — usually contracted by the pet ingesting the parasite in food, water, or the feces of another infected pet or wild animal.

  • These parasites settle in the intestinal tract of your pet.
  • Some of these parasites are zoonotic and can be passed from pets to people — this is a higher risk for young children, pregnant women, the elderly, or immuno-compromised people.

  1. Vector-Borne Parasites — spread by ticks, mosquitos, and other bugs.

  • Ticks can spread infections that cause Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.
  • Mosquitos can spread heartworm disease in both dogs and cats.

Parasites are sneaky, but they can’t hide from your pet’s veterinarian!

Your pet’s veterinarian is equipped with the training, skills, and tools to find parasites and help target treatment to eliminate these troublemakers – even before your dog or cat shows signs of illness.

4 Parasite prevention basics for your dog or cat

  1. Your adult pet should have routine fecal screening for intestinal parasites completed by their veterinarian at least once — and sometimes twice or more — a year, based on household and lifestyle risk.
  2. Puppies and kittens should have routine fecal screenings for intestinal parasites four times in their first year of life. 
  3. Your pet should be tested annually for vector-transmitted pathogens like heartworm, and dogs for tick-spread concerns like Lyme disease.
  4. Pets should be tested before starting heartworm preventives and thereafter as indicated. 

Learn More About Parasite Prevention

Visit petsandparasites.com from our friends at the Companion Animal Parasite Council.

The American Heartworm Society has helpful information at heartwormsociety.org.

And in Canada, the Canadian Parasite Expert Panel can help at research-groups.usask.ca/cpep.

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