Parasites are hard to avoid. They are found in soil, in water and in food. They live in every living thing, including other parasites.

What is a Parasite?
A parasite is defined as an organism that derives its nutrition from a living host.
Some parasites have multiple hosts, different animals for different life stages. Others live all their lives in one animal.

A healthy animal can often experience a parasitic invasion with few or no symptoms.

Coccidia - a Common Condition
Coccidia is probably one of the most common parasites. It infects mostly young animals, and is seen in farm animals as well as domestic pets.

Coccidia are single-celled organisms that spread via animal feces. They can be ingested when the dog or cat eats a wild animal such as a mouse. They are also picked up when the pet grooms himself after coming in contact with infected grounds.

Coccidiosis is often seen in animals that have been in crowded environments, such as shelters, pet shops or kennels.

The primary symptom is watery diarrhea. Kittens and puppies may be infected and not show symptoms, conversely they may have diarrhea and not show the parasite in the first stool sample.

Medication for coccidiosis prevents the organism from multiplying. The pet's immune system must take care of the infestation.

Tapeworms and Fleas
Tapeworms are the most common intestinal worm seen in dogs and cats. They attach themselves to the lining of the small intestine.

Infestations often go unnoticed. As the worm matures, egg segments are broken off and passed in the stool. You may see these segments - they look like grains of rice that move.

Tapeworms can be hard to kill, as most standard worming treatments just cause a sudden expulsion of the egg segments, with the head remaining in the intestines. The head segment then continues to create more eggs.

Fleas carry the tapeworm eggs and are the usual source of infection. Gophers are another carrier.

Roundworms
Most dogs and cats have roundworms. They usually go unnoticed in otherwise healthy animals, but are passed from the mother to puppy. Healthy puppies will pass off the infestation, but those with inadequate nutrition will show signs of illness.

It is believed that dogs will develop a resistance to these worms after an initial infestation.

Heartworm Can be Serious
Heartworm occurs througout most ot the United States, though in varying levels of infestation. If traveling with your dog, check with your veterinarian to determine if the region you are visiting carries a highe risk.

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and infect the pulmonary arteries of dogs.

A mild infestation may not require any treatment. Severe infestations can be fatal, but are not always. They do however require involved and prolonged treatment.

Despite the seriousness of this disease, the recommended prevention methods are not without problems themselves.
The American Veterinary Medical Association wrote at one time that sixty-five percent of all reported drug reactions and nearly fifty percent of all drug-related deaths were caused by heartworm medication. I don't know if these numbers still hold up, but a newer drug was recently recalled because of adverse affects, so I don't think it is getting better.

Other Canine Parasites
A mite that lives in the intestinal tracts of most animals causes mange. If the host's resistance is low, the mite can migrate to the skin where it then begins to cause problems.

Giardia is a protozoan that is quite widespread. It is found in water, from lakes to puddles. Humans are even more susceptible to giardiasis than animals. It causes diarrhea and other stomach upsets.

Dog's Diet Best Defense
A healthy diet is the first and best defense against parasite-related disease. A healthy animal can usually slough off a parasite infestation with little or no ill effects, and will often develop a resistance to them afterward.

There are dietary and herbal choices that can be used as preventatives or to help expel worms.

Garlic can helps repel tapeworms by reducing the mucus on the intestinal wall, thereby making it more difficult for the worm to attach itself.

Added roughage can also help expel worms. Grated raw carrot, shredded coconut and fennel are good additions.
Freshly ground raw pumpkin seeds are excellent de-wormers. They are also highly nutritious.

Grapefruit seed extract, or even ground grapefruit and other citrus seeds themselves, are good natural antibiotics. They are useful against giardiasis.

Chamomile is a gentle wormer, and the wild cousin pineapple weed, common in this area, is an even stronger one.

Though unpleasant, a dog founr to have a worm infestation is neither cause for alarm or very uncommon. In older or debilitated animals such an infection can take its toll, but in a healthy animal the problem is usually minor.

return to top