Deworming is an important part of your pet’s care regimen. Even though you’re not able to see intestinal worms, this doesn’t mean they don’t pose a high risk to your pet. Ensuring they’re on a regular deworming schedule helps remove harmful worms that can cause a range of health issues and complications.
What types of worms infect pets?
The most common worm infections are caused by roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms and heartworms. Roundworms are the most common intestinal worms that affect furry friends. Its tiny eggs are only visible with the help of a microscope and are passed through your pet’s feces. The eggs transfer into the soil and can infect other pets if they ingest it. Tapeworms are passed on through infected fleas your pet eats. After your pet ingests it, the larvae develop into adult tapeworms. Hookworms also infect pets who eat their larvae in the environment. Your puppy or kitten probably won’t show symptoms of a hookworm infection until they’re infected with a large number of worms. Whipworms also infect pets who have eaten their eggs and like hookworms, most pets don’t show symptoms until they have a high worm count. Mosquitoes transmit heartworms, who cause heartworm disease, which can potentially be life threatening for your pet. These infections can not only be a danger to your pet but your entire family because they are zoonotic. This means your furry friend can pass it on to you and other human family members.
How does deworming help?
We highly recommend that your pet get dewormed regularly in order to remove intestinal worms. Since some infections aren’t noticeable until your pet has a high worm count, regular deworming can get rid of intestinal parasites before an infection develops into more serious health concerns. We can discuss the best deworming treatment for your pet, based on their unique needs. If you’re interested in developing a deworming schedule for your pet, please contact us at 604-940-0899.
