It is that time of year for yard clean-up. Along with this theme we also need to consider intestinal clean out for our pets. Dogs and cats can become victims of parasites, particularly the intestinal kind.. Our outdoor cats, the mighty hunters that they are, can acquire tapeworms from eating mice. Our dogs during the summer time spend more time outdoors exposing them to grassy areas where other possible infested dogs have passed stool or saliva containing parasites. The most common intestinal parasites (worms) are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four, only two can be seen in the stool with the naked eye. The other two can be found by a stool analysis done at your veterinary clinic. This is precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to discover which parasite is present.
Parasitic infestation may or may not cause symptoms. If your pet has any of the following symptoms diarrheas, dry hair, general unhealthy appearance or weight loss a parasitic or other health concern may be present Consult your veterinarian.