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• Proper treatment can guard pets, kids against parasites

Proper treatment can guard pets, kids against parasites

By Michelle Norman
Special to The Times

Fleas and intestinal worms are among the most common parasites to infect pets. Some carry serious diseases that can be transmitted to people and pets, especially young ones.

Fran Morris, veterinary assistant for Kincaid Animal Hospital in Parkersburg, said she has “seen more problems with fleas” when the weather becomes warmer, and now that spring is here it is an issue for all pet owners. If a family pet becomes infected, it can also affect the health of children or anyone around the animal.

Michael and Stacy Piersol, of Belpre, said ticks and bugs haven’t been a problem for their schnauzer, Tiffany, because she was indoors most of the time.

However, “fleas have been a problem from time to time due to being outdoors and warmer weather,” the Piersols said.

A commonly used product to treat fleas is Advantage. On Advantage-treated dogs, fleas become immobilized and stop feeding in three to five minutes. It starts killing fleas within an hour.

For kittens, puppies, cats and dogs, flea bites can lead to serious problems such as skin infections and flea allergy dermatitis.

Heavy flea infestations on kittens can cause anemia and sometimes even death. Some products can be given to kittens as young as 8 weeks.

Zoonosis is any parasitic disease that can be transmitted from animals to people. Children can be especially at risk when they play in dirt and sand or put dirty fingers in their mouths.

A way to help reduce a family’s risk of zoonosis would be by protecting dogs against worms with products such as Interceptor Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Flavor Tabs.

Interceptor and Sentinel protect against hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and heartworms with a single monthly tablet. Sentinel also protects against fleas.

Dogs must be tested for heartworm before using Interceptor or Sentinel.

In a small percentage of dogs treated with Sentinel, digestive, neurologic and skin side effects may occur. In a small percentage of dogs treated with Interceptor, digestive and neurologic side effects may occur.

Morris said she has seen “more heartworm problems in pets” than other internal parasites, such as hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. “Heartworms are carried by mosquitoes,” she said.

Kittens can be infected with internal parasites shortly after birth. Roundworms and hookworms can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, disease in the first few weeks of a kitten’s life.

Left untreated, parasitic worms can contaminate a home with huge numbers of eggs and larvae. A single female roundworm, for example, can lay up to 100,000 eggs per day. These eggs can survive in the soil for years before they infect humans and pets.
Parasitic worms can cause severe illness, even death, in kittens. In humans, parasitic infections range from mild intestinal upset to visual impairment, in some cases.

In a March 2000 survey of pediatricians, 73 percent saw cases of pet-to-human zoonotic disease each year. Parasitic infections most often seen were from roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms.

Strategic deworming consists of treating a pet for worms at regular intervals with products specifically designed to prevent parasitic disease and the shedding of parasitic eggs in the yard and home. It is a practice recommended by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists and the Centers for Disease Control.