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| Internal Parasites Parasites can infect your pet any time of year. External parasites, such as fleas and ticks, may be less prevalent outside during certain times of the year; however, they often survive in the house during the winter months, creating an uninterrupted life cycle. Other internal parasites, such as intestinal parasites (worms), may affect your pet all year long. There are a number of intestinal worms that can infect dogs and cats, and they vary according to the species. The most common include tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, and they are very prolific. That’s why it’s important to consult with your veterinarian to implement a year-round parasite control program.  |
Zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases, are those diseases that can be transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans. For example, some worms can contaminate the soil where they serve as a risk to people as well as animals. Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite of pets and the most likely to be transmitted to humans. Due to the prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats, and, in some cases, their lack of symptoms, as well as the potential for humans to become infected, it’s really important that a stool sample is checked regularly. This should be done once a year in most cases. However, dogs and cats that are outside and exposed to other animals should be checked more often. A sample about the size of a tootsie roll in a Ziploc bag, or other container, is usually sufficient to perform the test. And the fresher, the better!  http://dogslovely.blogsome.com/wp-admin/images/Dogs%20Parasites.jpg |
| The Importance of Annual Veterinary Exams From HYPERLINK "http://dogs.about.com/bio/Krista-Mifflin-8029.htm" Krista Mifflin, former About.com Guide Most people think “My dog/cat doesn’t need a check-up; he’s always been healthy.” An annual veterinary exam is the key to a long-lived healthy pet!! The annual exam is much more than a cursory check-up. It is most often during these exams that a veterinarian can pick up the early warning signs of a serious problem that will affect your pet in the future. Serious problems can often be corrected, or at least slowed in progress, when they are detected early. Veterinarians perform a “nose-to-tail” exam. Just like it sounds, they start at the nose and work all the way down to the tail. They check for nasal discharge, signs of problems or infection in the eyes, check the mouth and teeth, the ears, the lungs and heart, skin and haircoat, the abdomen, and the spine and tail. The last stop is the paws, where the veterinarian looks for cuts or swelling and muscle damage along your pet’s legs. | There is quite a bit more to an annual exam than most people think. Without regular check-ups, some pets will not display any symptoms, and owners will oftentimes find themselves with an extremely sick pet on their hands, and sometimes it is too late to save them. Please make sure your pet gets in to see a vet at least once a year, even if she has always been healthy. After all, prevention is so much better than cure. Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
