There are different types of internal and external parasites that can affect your pet’s health. Some of them include: fleas, ticks, Giardia, heartworms, hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and coccidia. It is easier to prevent these parasites than to treat them after infection. Another thing to keep in mind is that there are certain parasites that can be passed from pets to people. Therefore, year-round prevention is the best way to deal with these parasites in pets.
It is not that difficult to keep your pets free of parasites. In fact, if you are giving your furry friend a monthly heartworm prevention treatment alongside flea and tick treatment, then you are already protecting him against multiple parasites. Apart from this, you can protect your pets from harmful parasites by following the different ways given below:
Follow your vet’s recommendation
Seek the help of your vet and ask them about parasites that can cause problems for your pets in your area. There are certain parasites that pose a greater threat to pets than others, depending on where you live and your pet’s lifestyle. He / she is the best person to tell you which parasites are the real threat and how they can be transmitted to your pet. They will also suggest appropriate preventive treatments for your pets.
Watch for signs of parasites.
All pets are prone to parasites, but it is very difficult to tell if your pet has them. External parasites like fleas and ticks can be seen if you know where to look for them. Pets that have fleas scratch a lot, bite the skin, have visible red bumps, and hair loss.
While internal parasites like heartworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, roundworms, Giardia or Coccidia are more difficult to detect in pets. This is due to the fact that it requires more than detecting illness or behavior changes in pets. Adult intestinal parasites are not visible in the stool, while adult and immature heartworms can be found in the blood. Intestinal parasites can cause vomiting, blockage, general poor appearance, weight loss, and diarrhea. Kittens and puppies with internal parasites have a boiled appearance.
Ask your vet for routine fecal exams.
The fecal exam should be done annually or for some pets every 3 to 6 months. Your vet will ask you to bring a fresh sample of pet poop for parasite detection. By examining it microscopically, you would determine if the pet has internal parasites or not. And if there are internal parasites, then which ones. Then he would give it the necessary treatment to eliminate the parasites. He would also give preventative treatments that control these internal parasites along with fleas, ticks, and heartworms.