our expertise: VET COLUMN
Parasite
Prevention
By Stacy McLeod, DVM
North Texas Veterinary Hospital
8283 FM 920 • Weatherford, Tx
M
ost of us are looking forward to warmer
weather and more time outdoors, but re-
member spring and warmer weather also brings
increased exposure for us and our pets to para-
sites. We recommend protecting your pets from
both internal parasites (heartworms and intestinal
parasites) and external parasites (fleas and ticks).
Our pets are not the only ones that can be af-
fected by these parasites. Many of these can also
affect humans so prevention is key.
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Heartworms are spread by mosquitos, and in-
fections with heartworms are frequently seen in
our area. A mosquito picks up the larvae from
another infected animal. It continues to mature
while in the mosquito, which then transmits it
when it bites the next dog. The larvae continue
to develop in the dog and eventually travel to the
heart. The mature adult worms cause damage to
the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. By the time
your dog shows symptoms, they are usually in
congestive heart failure. While it is a treatable
disease, the treatment is much more expensive
and difficult than prevention. Pets should be test-
ed before starting them on heartworm preventa-
tive and each year while they are on it. This is
important because even the best pet parents are
still human and there is also that sneaky pet that
likes to hide treats rather than eat them, so com-
pliance is not a guarantee. We recommend year-
round prevention.
An added benefit for most heartworm preven-
tatives is that they take care of some, if not all
intestinal parasites as well. These are either giv-
en as a monthly oral dose or injection every six
months. Intestinal parasites include hookworms,
roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms, just
Dr. Stacy McLeod
to name a few. These worms not only rob your
pet of nutrition