Q: Can Worms get transferred to people?

Dr. Schaeberle,

What are intestinal parasites? Can they be transferred to people?

“Scared of Worms”

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Dear Scared of Worms,

The term intestinal parasites is a broad name that includes worms, protozoa and other intestinal organisms.

Worms are a very common finding in all animals and of all ages. The types of worms that are commonly seen are roundworms, whipworms, hookworms and tape worms. Giardia is routinely tested for, but is actually not a worm, rather a type of protozoa.

Puppies and kittens are often born with roundworms because the mother will harbor small numbers of eggs, passing them through the placenta. Other sources of infestation are from the environment (yard, woods, soil, etc), contaminated feces (from other pets, farm animals, raccoons, etc) or eating contaminated animals (fleas, mice, birds, bugs, earthworms, etc). Intestinal parasites are common causes of diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss. Another concern is their risk of zoonosis, which is the spread of disease from animals to humans.

If contracted from an infected animal or source, a human may develop gastrointestinal problems, but also a condition called larval migrans. Larval migrans is when the larvae of worms stray from the intestines, traveling under the skin, within the eye or even into the brain.

Due to the implications for your pet (diarrhea, etc) and the chance of spread to us, it is important that a stool sample be checked by your veterinarian at your pet’s annual wellness exam or anytime they develop diarrhea. If your pet has tested positive, repeat testing is usually done to make sure the treatment was effective. Occasionally a negative sample is obtained despite the presence of worms because adult worms are not constantly shedding their eggs. Specific de-worming medications are prescribed based on the fecal results and/or your veterinarian’s suspicion of intestinal parasites.

Another important source of prevention is monthly heartworm prevention. Not only will these pills prevent heartworm disease, they will also treat for round worms, hook worms and sometimes whip worms. It is important to understand that these medications, including the heartworm pill, are only one time treatments. Your pet can be re-infected after receiving the medication and will remain infected until either the next dose of heartworm prevention is given or more de-worming medication is dispensed.

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, VMD

Question: Parasites and my pet!

Dr. Schaeberle,

I think my pet has worms! What can I do to prevent them?

Nicole

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Dear Nicole,

In general when we mention internal parasites, people tend to think of the word “worms”. There are many different internal parasites and the only real worms that you are likely to see in your pet’s stool are roundworms and tapeworms. Included in the list of internal parasites that you cannot see are hookworms, whipworms, heartworms and a variety of protozoa (single-celled organisms). To find evidence of these worms, you must examine stool specimen under a microscope. To check for heartworms, a small blood sample is needed.

Past studies show that about 1 in 3 dogs carry internal parasites. Why is this? Dogs can ingest feces, cats eat mice, all pets can be bitten by mosquitoes (which can cause heartworm disease) and both can carry fleas which can cause tapeworms. The good news is that all of this is preventable! The prevention of internal parasites is preferred over the costs of treatment for parasites, inconveniences to the owner, and the discomfort of your pet. Just as important, many of these parasites have the potential to be transferred to humans!

My recommendations:
1. Submit a stool check each year to your veterinarian.
2. Keep your yard as clean as possible of feces.
3. Use flea preventatives like Advantix or Frontline.
4. Most important is the year-round use of a monthly heartworm preventative such as Interceptor which prevents heartworms and many intestinal parasites, on a monthly basis your round.
5. Get an annual heartworm test for your dog. Our heartworm test also tests for Lyme Disease, which is a very prevalent disease in our area.

A great web site on “worms”: GrowingUpWithPets.com

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, VMD

Question: Worms, how do I prevent them?

Dr. Schaeberle,

I think my pet has worms! What can I do to prevent them?

Thanks,
Nicole

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Dear Nicole,

In general when we mention internal parasites, people tend to think of the word “worms”. There are many different internal parasites and the only real worms that you are likely to see in your pet’s stool are roundworms and tapeworms. Included in the list of internal parasites that you cannot see are hookworms, whipworms, heartworms and a variety of protozoa (single-celled organisms). To find evidence of these worms, you must examine stool specimen under a microscope. To check for heartworms, a small blood sample is needed.

Past studies show that about 1 in 3 dogs carry internal parasites. Why is this? Dogs can ingest feces, cats eat mice, all pets can be bitten by mosquitoes (which can cause heartworm disease) and both can carry fleas which can cause tapeworms.

The good news is that all of this is preventable! The prevention of internal parasites is preferred over the costs of treatment for parasites, inconveniences to the owner, and the discomfort of your pet. Just as important, many of these parasites have the potential to be transferred to humans!

My recommendations:

1. Submit a stool check each year to your veterinarian.

2. Keep your yard as clean as possible of feces.

3. Use flea preventatives like Advantix or Frontline.

4. Most important is the year-round use of a monthly heartworm preventative such as Interceptor which prevents heartworms and many intestinal parasites, on a monthly basis your round.

5. Get an annual heartworm test for your dog. Our heartworm test also tests for Lyme Disease, which is a very prevalent disease in our area.

A great web site on “worms”: GrowingUpWithPets.com

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, V.M.D.