Intestinal parasites

Hello and I hope everyone is doing well! For this blog, I will be discussing the infamous intestinal parasites that we find affecting our dogs and cats. 

As a veterinarian, I’ve see many cases of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats over the years and we tend to see more of them when the weather is nicer because we start taking our dogs outside more and more. Unfortunately, intestinal parasites are very common here in Texas and both dogs and cats can become infected with them. 

Now there are certainly some common myths about what people think in relation to intestinal parasites. People tend to think that all of these parasites look like spaghetti and that if they are not seen, their pets do not have intestinal parasites. Well, sorry for the wake up call, but many parasites are microscopic and may not even be seen in the stools. In fact, those spaghetti like parasites are often seen in their microscopic forms only, meaning you may not see anything abnormal on your kiddo’s stools. 

Some people are under the impression that if a dog or cat lives strictly indoors, they will not be exposed to any type of parasite. Over time, I have seen many of these strictly indoor pets turning positive for the presence of different kinds of intestinal parasites. Not only many of these pets go outside briefly and are exposed to the environment, but we can bring microscopic intestinal parasites on our shoes to our homes.

There are different types of intestinal parasites, including the long worms that we typically think of, which are usually roundworms or hookworms. These are transmitted through the ingestion of microscopic eggs found within stools or in contaminated areas and this can happen when our pets step on stool traces that may have the microscopic eggs and then lick their paws. Many of these eggs can live in the environment for weeks or even months! 

A common intestinal parasite that we see here in the south is the tapeworm, which is transmitted through the ingestion of a flea infected with a microscopic stage of the tapeworm. The adult worm segments (called proglottids) look like grains of rice and will be seen in the stools or around our pet’s anuses. Sometimes you may also see your pet (especially dogs) scooting when these parasites are present, although that can also be an indication of a different issue like anal sac disease. 

Please be aware that some parasites can only be found in their microscopic forms, like giardia and coccidia, and they can also be transmitted through exposure to contaminated areas where stools were present, including water sources when it comes to giardia. Intestinal parasites in the environment can be very difficult to eradicate and can often continue to expose our kiddos, affecting them on and off

The most common symptom associated with the presence of intestinal parasites is soft stools or diarrhea, even if no worms may be seen. Please note that dogs and cats with normal stools can still be infected with intestinal parasites. On the other hand, soft stools or diarrhea are seen with many different conditions that can be completely unrelated to intestinal parasites. These critters can also lead to vomiting, weight loss, anemia, and even life threatening complications.

In order to diagnose an infection with intestinal parasites, we usually start with a fecal analysis and this test is recommended at least once yearly and any time there may be some concerns with the stools or potential exposure to parasites. I also recommend taking a picture of any worm you may see or even consider taking the worm itself to your hospital so that you can show it to our veterinary healthcare team. 

Whenever you make your appointment to see us, please consider bringing a fresh stool sample from your pet with you so that the healthcare team can process it. We may also recommend blood work and/or radiographs if your kiddo seems very sick, based on physical examination. We may also suggest further testing to rule out other issues not related to the presence of intestinal parasites, based on a conversation with you.

There are different types of dewormers and treatments that may be recommended, based on which parasite may be present and how much damage it may have caused to your pet. Sometimes all that may be needed is a specific oral dewormer, but some poor babies may be so sick from an advanced intestinal parasite infection that they may even need hospitalization. 

Preventing the spread of these common intestinal parasites requires prevention and controlling the environment. Many heartworm and flea/tick prevention products these days have dewormers against the common intestinal parasites. It is very important to always pick up the stools right after your pet has gone to the restroom to help prevent parasites from lingering in the surroundings. I also recommend avoiding areas where pets visit often if you suspect or know your baby has intestinal parasites, as your pet could expose other pets to the parasites. It’s worth noting that many of these parasites can infect humans, so please please consult a physician if you suspect exposure.

As always, thank you all so much for reading my blog and I hope everyone has a beautiful rest of the month. Abrazos, mi gente!!