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Pesky Parasites!Parasites you say? Not a lovely topic at all! This article was written to condense information on the typical parasites our pets get along with tips on how to get rid of them. Heartworms Heartworms are classified as nematodes (roundworms) and are one of many species of roundworms. The adult female heartworms release their young, called microfilaria, into your pet’s bloodstream. Mosquitoes become infected with microfilaria while taking blood from an infected animal. Then, during the next ten to fourteen days, the microfilaria mature to the infective larval stage within the mosquito. When that mosquito bites another dog, cat, or other susceptible animal, the infective larvae enter through the bite wound. It then takes a little over six months for the infective larvae to mature into adult worms that can then live for five to seven years in dogs. Microfilaria cannot mature into adult heartworms without first passing through a mosquito. Hookworms Hookworms live in the small intestine. They hang on to the intestinal wall using their sharp teeth and drink its host's blood. The adults live and mate in the host and with the female worm producing the eggs. Eggs are released into the intestinal tract and passed into the world mixed in with the host's stool. Click here for further information Managing Hookworms on the Landscape Ringworm Ringworm is a highly contagious fungal disorder. There are 35 different species of ringworm that can affect cats, dogs and humans as well. Ringworm appears as a lesion on the skin of an animal or human. It looks like a growing circular patch. It can get inflamed and look like dandruff. Click here for further information Roundworms Roundworms are large parasites, typically white and about the diameter of a spaghetti-strand and 4 inches in length. Kittens and puppies can be born with roundworms. The larva is tiny enough to migrate through the placental blood supply to the fetal liver or lungs. Soon after birth, juvenile roundworms begin migrating from the liver and lungs to the intestine where they will grow to adults and begin laying eggs. Within three weeks after birth, puppies and kittens can begin shedding roundworm eggs into the environment. Roundworm larva can gain entry into the mammary glands and then be passed to puppies or kittens as they nurse. Another possibility is if the young animal eats an embryonated egg found in fecal contamination of food or water bowls. The egg hatches within the intestine. Click here for further details on roundworms. or Click here Tapeworms “Tapes” as they are often called are transmitted via fleas that a dog can ingest while grooming or when a dog eats infective eggs or larvae that live in the soil or in small rodents. The key to getting rid of tapeworms is flea control. Click here for further details on tape worms. Whipworms Whipworms buries their entire head in the wall of the large intestine. They have a large head and a whip-like thin tail section. Like hookworms, whipworms are also very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Whips are transmitted through the eggs. Infested soil can get on toys, food, pet bowls or picked up on a pet’s paw and as s/he licks, the eggs are swallowed. Within 1-3 months the swallowed eggs hatch in the intestine; attach to the intestinal wall and begin sucking blood and laying eggs. Click here for further details. Demodectic Mange Signs that your pet has Demodectic mange, or red mange as it is sometimes called, include itching, scratching, reddened or scaly skin, blackheads, and hair loss. Severe cases experience widespread hair loss, pimples, and what appears to be “crusty skin”. Usually, the head and feet are the more commonly involved areas. Click here for further details.
Natural Options Sarcoptic Mange Sarcoptic mange, also known as canine scabies, is caused when the mite burrows beneath the surface of the skin, but it may also crawl around on the skin surface. This mite feeds on material in and on the skin. It is diagnosed through a skin scraping under a microscope. Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious and although the mites cannot complete their life cycle on humans, they will cause quite a bit of itching. Ear Mites A common sign of ear mite infection is shaking of the head and ears. Dogs may also scratch at their ears, rub their face and in severe cases may even cause bleeding sores behind their ears in their effort to relieve the discomfort from the mites. Mites live their entire life on the pet, taking about three weeks for the egg to develop into an adult. The adult mites are very mobile and can live for some time off of a dog or cat. Dark brown or black debris accumulates in the ears of infected pets and the mites may be visible as small moving white specks on the debris. Click here for further information.
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