Intestinal Parasite Testing & Control

Parasites. Worms. Ew…these words makes most of us cringe. Parasites can affect any living creature, both inside and out. In this article, we will address internal parasite concerns for your dog or cat living in our beautiful region of the Palouse. If you are interested in the most common external parasite in our region, please check out our other article entitled “Ick, Ticks!”.

The most common internal parasites affecting pets of the Palouse are intestinal parasites.  These include many different types of worms - the most common of which include roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Intestinal parasites can be acquired at birth from an infected mother, via hunting (ingestion of rabbits and rodents), flea infestation, ingestion of raw meat diets, ingestion of feces, or snuffling around in an environment contaminated with feces from an infected dog/cat/raccoon/coyote/other animal. Once the infective eggs are ingested by your pet, they will develop into parasitic worms in their intestinal system. Initially, your pet may show no symptoms whatsoever; however, as the infection progresses, your pet may start to show symptoms (depending on the species of parasite) that may include: vomiting, lack of appetite, diarrhea, blood in the stool, flatulence, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia, anal itching, or scooting. Occasionally, worms may become visible in the stool, vomitus, or around the perianal region. Pets often re-infect themselves from their own environment, which has been contaminated by their own waste during an infection. This environmental contamination then spreads parasites to other animals, affecting the health of our community's pets, wildlife, and children.

Parasites certainly pose a health risk for our companion animals, but did you know that roundworms and hookworms are also dangerous to humans? Feces infected with roundworm eggs are especially harmful to babies and children, leading to serious complications including blindness. To avoid this, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises monthly intestinal deworming of dogs and cats in households with children. It is also recommended to pick up stool in your yard within 24 hours of deposit to avoid allowing parasite eggs to become infective, clean out litterboxes daily, and to keep sandboxes covered when not in use. Sandboxes look a lot like a giant litterbox to neighborhood cats, and are a common source of child infection.

Aggressive intestinal deworming and increased testing vigilance is also recommended for dogs and cats with lifestyles that cause high exposure (hunting, roaming, dog parks, city parks, raw meat diet, etc.). All pets, even those with low exposure, should have an intestinal parasite test performed on a fresh stool sample at least annually. There are different testing methodologies available including the traditional flotation, which utilizes visualization of parasite eggs in the stool for diagnosis. A more recently developed and higher sensitivity diagnostic includes antigen testing, which allows for much earlier detection of parasites even prior to the presence of eggs. This early detection enables rapid control before any possible infective forms are passed to contaminate your home & yard. Alpine Animal Hospital offers high sensitivity antigen testing for routine screening on well pets, while both testing methodologies may be needed for a symptomatic pet.

For effective control of intestinal parasites, there are multiple safe and effective deworming medications available for both dogs and cats. Our veterinarians recommend treating with broad-spectrum deworming medication, so that most common internal parasites are killed with one medication. We have several effective medications for both dogs and cats that are safe for regular or intermittent use.

• For dogs, our veterinarians recommend monthly year-round heartworm and broad-spectrum intestinal parasite prevention & control with chewable Interceptor Plus. This safe and highly palatable chew prevents and controls roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and heartworms. Due to its ability to prevent heartworm disease, a simple blood test is required before prescription to ensure your dog hasn’t already been exposed to heartworms, repeated annually thereafter.
• For cats, recommendations vary by life style:
  • Indoor cats are frequently and incorrectly thought to be risk-free from parasite exposure. However, due to spread of fatal heartworm disease to our area and no safe or effective treatment for cats, ALL cats should take year-round heartworm preventive medication. Monthly Revolution, Revolution Plus, or Bravecto Plus are good options for the specific parasite protection needed for indoor only cats.
  • Cats who go outdoors have many more parasite exposure risks, especially due to regular tapeworm exposure from hunting of rabbits and rodents. These cats should take more broad-spectrum parasite control medication that incorporates tapeworm management along with control of heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, fleas, and ticks. NexGard COMBO is the most broad-spectrum antiparasitic available in a once monthly topical solution.
  • A once-per-lifetime MDR-1 genetic test is recommended prior to treatment with any broad-spectrum parasite medication, as 1-4% of cats are thought to carry a mutation in this gene which increases their risk of serious adverse reactions to this type of medication. To read more about this mutation in cats, click here.  
    

For the safety of your pet and family, please schedule an appointment today to talk with one of our veterinarians about starting your pet on a regular deworming schedule. Be sure to bring a fresh stool sample to their appointment for testing, so that you know what parasites may or may not be contaminating your home & yard.