Internal Parasites
Do you wonder what our fascination with poop is all about? The purpose of fecal exams is to check your pet for internal parasites. There are a number of internal parasites that can impact your pet’s health and some of those parasites can infect humans as well. In addition to keeping your pet in the best of health, we want to make sure that sharing your life with your pet won’t involve sharing parasite infections.
Common internal parasites in this area include roundworms, coccidia, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and giardia. Our pets become infected with these parasites through ingestion of contaminated soil or feces, drinking infected water, or eating infected animals or insects.
Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite in dogs and cats. They are large round heavy-bodied worms that infect the small intestine and can grow to 6 inches in length. Roundworms can be transmitted to humans through ingestion of the eggs found in the soil.
Coccidia are microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled parasites that live in the intestines. Coccidia can only be detected by microscopic fecal exams.
Hookworms are a common and serious intestinal parasite in dogs and cats. Hookworms are a tube shaped worm that lives in the small intestine and has 3 pairs on ventral teeth that it uses to feed on the host animal’s blood. Hookworms can be transmitted to humans through penetration of the larvae through the human skin.
Whipworms are one of the most common causes of diarrhea in dogs. Whipworms are a small, thin whip like worm that lives in the large intestine and cecum.
Tapeworms consist of a head and long flat body up to 40 inches in length that live in the small intestines. Tapeworm egg segments are often found in the pet’s feces, in its bed or clinging to the hair around the anus.
Giardia is a microorganism which infects the upper small intestine. Giardia can be transmitted to humans through ingestion of contaminated stool, food or water.
To help prevent your pet from getting an infection, keep them away from the fecal material of other animals (from both domestic animals and wildlife) and free of fleas. Prompt removal of fecal material from your yard helps limit exposure to your family and other animals. The good news is that when we do find internal parasites during a fecal exam, we have effective medications to remove them from your pet.
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