Important Info (Parasites)
Internal and External Parasites in Dogs & Cats
Administer year-round treatment with heartworm preventives that have broad-spectrum activity against parasites with zoonotic potential.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THIESE WEB-SITES
www.NPWM.com
www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm
http://www.petsandparasites.org/home.html
Zoonotic Disease
ZOONOTIC DISEASE
(DISEASES THAT AFFECT ANIMALS AND PEOPLE)
SOME OF THE ZOONOTIC DISEASES ARE:
Hookworms and Rounds Worms: a worm parasite often found in pups, kittens, and adult pets can cause serious disease in humans.
Echinococcus Tapeworm: is a parasite transmitted by consumption of raw or improperly cooked meats and from the stool of animals that have eaten other infected animals such as rats or mice. This parasite can cause “Hydatid Cysts” to form in the body of humans.
Cat Scratch Disease: a flea borne infection transmitted from by a cat’s scratch or bite. Signs include pimples at the scratch site and swollen lymph nodes.
Giardia: a one celled parasite from contaminated drinking water or contact with an infected animal or human’s stool. Signs are diarrhea, cramps, and nausea.
Leptospirosis: is a bacterial disease spread by contact with the urine of infected animals, such as dogs, raccoons, squirrels, and skunks. Lepto can cause a high fever and kidney or liver damage.
Lyme Disease: is spread by ticks and can cause arthritis and kidney damage.
Rabies: a fatal disease of animals and man that can be spread by the saliva of an infected animal.
Ringworm: is a fungal infection of animals and man that causes a ring-shaped itchy rash on the skin. The disease can be passed from animal’s skin or fur to humans or from humans to pets.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: a serious tick-borne disease that causes fever, headache, and muscle pain along with a rash.
Toxoplasmosis: is a parasite that is spread by contact with cat feces, rat or mouse feces, or raw and improperly cooked meat, and can be found in the soil.
SIMPLE WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:
Wash your hands after touching pets and before eating.
Never handle the stool of animals or humans without wearing disposable gloves or a plastic barrier.
Pick up your pets stool from your yard or kennel area at least every 7 to 14 days, using gloves and avoiding handling the stool. Dispose of the pets’ stools in your garbage and by placing the fecal material in a sealed plastic bag.
Change cat litter boxes every other day and avoid touching the stool. Be sure to ware gloves and dispose of the pets’ stools in your garbage and place the fecal material in a sealed plastic bag. Pregnant women, elderly, children, or women who might become pregnant should avoid litter box changes and handling pets’ stools.
Avoid kissing your pet or letting it lick your face.
Do daily “tick checks” on yourself, your children, and your pets. Use tick tweezers to remove ticks, read the directions on removal, destroy the tick, and wash the wound after removal.
Avoid handling cat feces, especially for pregnant women, children, and elderly individuals. Wear gloves to change the cat’s litter box and wash hands after handling the litter.
Wash hands after gardening and before you eat. ALWAYS WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING PETS AND BEFORE EATING.
If scratched or bitten wash the wound with soap and water and administer first aid. Contact your physician for advice on further care.
See your veterinarian and make sure your pet is protected against zoonoses and other diseases that threaten your pet’s health.
STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR PET:
Ask your veterinarian about tick and flea control
Brush and inspect your pet for ticks after each outing
Don’t let your pet drink from standing water outside
Don’t let your pet come into contact with feces or urine of wild animals
Remove food, garbage, and nesting materials that may attract disease-carrying wild animals.
Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on heartworm and other intestinal parasite examinations, prevention, and treatments.
Internal and External Parasites in Dogs & Cats
Administer year-round treatment with heartworm preventives that have broad-spectrum activity against parasites with zoonotic potential.
- Administer preventive flea and/or tick products year-round.
- Conduct annual physical examination with complete history.
- Conduct annual heartworm testing in dogs and periodic testing in cats.
- Feed pets cooked or prepared food (not raw meat) and provide fresh, potable water.
- Conduct fecal examinations two to four times during the first year of life and one to two times per year in adults, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors.
- Administer anthelmintic treatment to puppies at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age, followed by administration of a monthly preventive.
- Administer biweekly anthelmintic treatment to kittens between 3 and 9 weeks of age, followed by administration of a monthly preventive.
- Treat nursing bitches and queens along with their offspring.
- If optimal year-round heartworm preventive/intestinal parasite products are not used:
- Deworm puppies at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age.
- In kittens, begin biweekly anthelmintic treatment between 3 and 9 weeks of age and then again monthly until 6 months of age.
- Conduct fecal examinations two to four times a year in adult pets, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors, and treat with appropriate parasiticides.
- Test for heartworm status yearly in dogs and/or before starting preventive medications.
- Tailor parasite prevention programs to parasite prevalence and pet lifestyle factors.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THIESE WEB-SITES
www.NPWM.com
www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm
http://www.petsandparasites.org/home.html
Zoonotic Disease
ZOONOTIC DISEASE
(DISEASES THAT AFFECT ANIMALS AND PEOPLE)
SOME OF THE ZOONOTIC DISEASES ARE:
Hookworms and Rounds Worms: a worm parasite often found in pups, kittens, and adult pets can cause serious disease in humans.
Echinococcus Tapeworm: is a parasite transmitted by consumption of raw or improperly cooked meats and from the stool of animals that have eaten other infected animals such as rats or mice. This parasite can cause “Hydatid Cysts” to form in the body of humans.
Cat Scratch Disease: a flea borne infection transmitted from by a cat’s scratch or bite. Signs include pimples at the scratch site and swollen lymph nodes.
Giardia: a one celled parasite from contaminated drinking water or contact with an infected animal or human’s stool. Signs are diarrhea, cramps, and nausea.
Leptospirosis: is a bacterial disease spread by contact with the urine of infected animals, such as dogs, raccoons, squirrels, and skunks. Lepto can cause a high fever and kidney or liver damage.
Lyme Disease: is spread by ticks and can cause arthritis and kidney damage.
Rabies: a fatal disease of animals and man that can be spread by the saliva of an infected animal.
Ringworm: is a fungal infection of animals and man that causes a ring-shaped itchy rash on the skin. The disease can be passed from animal’s skin or fur to humans or from humans to pets.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: a serious tick-borne disease that causes fever, headache, and muscle pain along with a rash.
Toxoplasmosis: is a parasite that is spread by contact with cat feces, rat or mouse feces, or raw and improperly cooked meat, and can be found in the soil.
SIMPLE WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:
Wash your hands after touching pets and before eating.
Never handle the stool of animals or humans without wearing disposable gloves or a plastic barrier.
Pick up your pets stool from your yard or kennel area at least every 7 to 14 days, using gloves and avoiding handling the stool. Dispose of the pets’ stools in your garbage and by placing the fecal material in a sealed plastic bag.
Change cat litter boxes every other day and avoid touching the stool. Be sure to ware gloves and dispose of the pets’ stools in your garbage and place the fecal material in a sealed plastic bag. Pregnant women, elderly, children, or women who might become pregnant should avoid litter box changes and handling pets’ stools.
Avoid kissing your pet or letting it lick your face.
Do daily “tick checks” on yourself, your children, and your pets. Use tick tweezers to remove ticks, read the directions on removal, destroy the tick, and wash the wound after removal.
Avoid handling cat feces, especially for pregnant women, children, and elderly individuals. Wear gloves to change the cat’s litter box and wash hands after handling the litter.
Wash hands after gardening and before you eat. ALWAYS WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING PETS AND BEFORE EATING.
If scratched or bitten wash the wound with soap and water and administer first aid. Contact your physician for advice on further care.
See your veterinarian and make sure your pet is protected against zoonoses and other diseases that threaten your pet’s health.
STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR PET:
Ask your veterinarian about tick and flea control
Brush and inspect your pet for ticks after each outing
Don’t let your pet drink from standing water outside
Don’t let your pet come into contact with feces or urine of wild animals
Remove food, garbage, and nesting materials that may attract disease-carrying wild animals.
Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on heartworm and other intestinal parasite examinations, prevention, and treatments.