Mary Allen
Dogs, cats, and horses can become infected with parasites such as worms through contact with wild animals such as hedgehogs, foxes, and deer, as well as from relatives. Pests can not only annoy your loved ones but also be dangerous to you.
Pets Can Become Infected with Various Worms
The worms are not always the same. There are dangerous and less dangerous parasites. The most common roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Most live in the intestines, but during their developmental phase, they can break through the intestinal wall and migrate through the body of an infected pet. Animals can also get sick with so-called heartworms, which are mainly transmitted through insect bites. Dogs can also become infected with fox tapeworm, which is dangerous to humans.
Dogs, cats, and horses can become infected very easily, as infected animals secrete worm eggs, worm larvae, and sometimes even parts of the worms with feces. Pets can easily become infected by sniffing, licking, or eating. But even if you feed your furry friends with raw meat, they too can get infected with worms.
Not All Worms are Harmless to Pets and Humans
Most often, worms live in the intestines or other internal organs. Most worms do little harm to healthy adult pets. Infection with worms is especially dangerous when the animals are young, old, or sick. However, with a strong helminthic invasion in the pet’s body, nutritional deficiencies may occur. Inflammation and internal bleeding can also result from parasite infestation. They also weaken the immune system and make your loved one more susceptible to other diseases.
To determine the infestation, the feces of your animals should be examined, since in most cases only eggs and larvae of parasites are excreted. But they are only visible under a microscope. In the same way, a person can become infected with parasites. In particular, roundworms, but less often fox tapeworm, affect the internal organs of a person. Fox tapeworm can even be life-threatening.
Lack of Permanent Protection Against Worms
Anthelmintic treatment does not help prophylactically, it only kills worms, eggs, and larvae, which are currently active in the body. In its effect, it cannot be equated with vaccination. The worms are only effective for about 24 hours, after which the active ingredient is broken down and excreted from the body. For this reason, deworming should be done at regular intervals. In addition, the animal receives the medication in the form of a tablet or paste for oral administration.
Deworming of pets should be carried out at least 4 times a year, i.e. every 3 months. Street cats, for example, should be dewormed more often because they catch and eat mice and birds and therefore have a higher risk of being attacked by parasites. Therefore, the frequency of deworming differs from animal to animal, as the environment also plays a decisive role. In this regard, in some cases, deworming should sometimes be used more often. Your veterinarian should evaluate the risk factors and advise you of the frequency of helminth infestations. Indoor cats that are not outdoors should also be treated for worms, as their owners may bring parasite eggs into the house on the soles of their shoes.