Understanding Parasites and Deworming Your Dog
Why is it important to deworm my dog?
It's important to deworm your dog because parasites can cause a lot of issues for your pet. They can cause gastrointestinal upset, anemia, loose stools, and vomiting. It's really important that we don't let those parasites live in our pets.
What are some common parasites found in dogs and how are they treated?
Common parasites include hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and Giardia. These are all things we see pretty commonly. It depends on the parasite which medication we're going to use, which is why it's really important that you bring in a stool sample. We're going to run what's called a fecal float, and that's going to look under the microscope for either parasites or their eggs. Once we determine which parasite they have, we'll be able to guide you on which medication we recommend.
How do intestinal parasites impact the health and well-being of my dog?
Depending on the parasite, some of them can actually attach to the intestinal wall and suck blood from the pet, which can cause them to be anemic or have low red blood cells. They can cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract and steal nutrients from them. All really important things that we get taken care of.
Would I always be able to see the parasites in the stool?
Not necessarily. Like I said, we do that fecal float and look under the microscope, so a lot of these are microscopic, and those eggs are microscopic. You're not going to see them. Sometimes you will see worms in the stool. If you do, give us a call right away. Some of the things you might see are long, spaghetti-like worms, which are typically roundworms. If you see little pieces of rice, especially on the bedding or around the anus, and if they're moving, even if they're not, they are tapeworms.
Why is early detection and diagnosis of intestinal parasites in dogs so important?
It's important because if they're not detected early, they can cause a lot of problems. If we don't detect those ones that suck the blood early enough, your pet can become really anemic and require a blood transfusion or hospitalization. If it's stealing their nutrients, then they're not going to be growing, especially in puppies, the way that we expect them to. So it's really important to catch these early.
How often should I be checking my dog's stool?
We typically recommend twice a year. If they're puppies, we're going to recommend a couple of times during their puppyhood. But anytime you're picking up the stool, just notice if there are any abnormalities that would prompt us to want to do one of those fecal tests.
What's the difference between natural remedies or over-the-counter dewormers compared to prescription medications?
We're always going to encourage you to use a prescription medication because, again, we need to know what we're treating before we treat it. I've seen a lot of pets that have been overdosed on some of these over-the-counter medications if they're not measured properly or if you're treating for the wrong parasite. We just don't know how safe some of these natural things are, so it's really important that you seek our advice for this.
Does the medication depend on the parasite?
Exactly. Unfortunately, there's not a one-size-fits-all solution. It really depends on the parasite and how we're going to take care of it. So bring those poop samples with you, please.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (276) 600-2631, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!