Parasites infect all life forms both plants and animals and are internal and external in pets. A parasite is an organism that needs to live on or in a second organism (people and pets) in order to survive. Parasites are usually harmful to the host organism because they depend on the host for most or all of their nutrients. Many parasites are not species specific and can inhabit more than one type of host species. Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are called zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases from parasites can cause various symptoms in humans such as diarrhea, muscle aches, and fevers. Sometimes infected persons experience severe symptoms that can be life threatening.(1). Many internal parasites are passed to humans through the feces of the infected animal which makes small children especially vulnerable.

New puppies are often born with roundworms. They get them from their mother’s placenta. That’s why we always send home Pyrantel, which is a prescription strength dewormer. There are no known side effects to this dewormer so even if the puppy doesn’t have roundworms there is no harm in giving the medication. It has been shown that many puppies and adult dogs acquire other parasites such as hookworms, giardia, and or coccidia. All of which can profoundly affect their health over time. Testing and treatment are fairly inexpensive when compared with caring for a pet that has been debilitated by parasites.

Since animals can get re-infected with parasites after an infestation, we recommend that you annually check your pet for internal parasites by bringing in a fecal sample. External parasites should be prevented with the use of heartworm prevention and flea & tick repellents. Below is a list of the most common parasites we see in Idaho.

 1)– Center for Disease Control, Zoonotic Diseases.