Protecting Household Pets from Parasites

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated May 1, 2012)

When a pet owner thinks of parasites in relation to their pet, most typically think of external parasites such as fleas and ticks, since they can actually see them on their pet. Yet, the parasites that are the most destructive to your pet's health are the ones that you cannot see—internal parasites. Some internal parasites include hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, roundworm, and heartworm.

What can you do to protect your household pets from parasites? Here are some guidelines to follow:

  • Rid your pet of external parasites by washing them with flea and tick preparations.
  • Remove the fleas and ticks manually.
  • Regularly clean your pet's bedding.
  • Keep your home clean and neat, making it less hospitable to parasites.
  • Use powders, dips, sprays, collars, and prescriptions according to your vet's directions to fend off parasite attacks.
  • Take your pet to the vet regularly for checkups and discuss any concerns. If you pet eats well, yet loses weight, vomits, or has diarrhea, those may be symptoms of internal parasites.
  • Have your vet administer monthly heartworm treatments to your pet.
  • Have your vet examine your pet's fecal samples for internal parasites every year.
  • Keep your pet inside, and away from stray animals.
  • Never feed your pet raw meat.
  • Do not allow your pet to eat rodents or birds, since they may contain parasites.

If you decide to treat your pet with over-the-counter wormers, make sure that you follow the direction label on the product, and make certain that you tell your vet of the medicines you have administered to your pet. Overmedicating your pet—or worming too often, with several different products—can prove fatal.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Getting Rid of Butalbital Headaches

Anyone who takes barbiturates such as butalbital to relieve severe headaches should be informed about the possibility of ...

Discover More

Organic Gardening

Gardens are not only an essential space for supplying food, they provide relaxation and a refuge from our hectic lives. ...

Discover More

Common Tactics for Lowering Utility Bills

A few small tactics for lowering your utility bills are to unplug cell phone chargers when you're not using them, place ...

Discover More

Cover Your Entire Back Yard! Flowtron's lantern-style insect killer uses nontoxic ultraviolet light to eliminate mosquitoes, biting flies, and other insects over a 1/2-acre area. Hang it up, plug it in, and you are ready to go. Cleaner, safer, and longer-lasting than messy chemicals. Check out Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer today!

More Pest Tips

Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

Have you noticed how it seems like you can't turn on the news, open a magazine, or listen to the radio without hearing ...

Discover More

Ridding Your House of Mosquitoes

While many people look at mosquitoes as harmless though annoying pests, they can in fact be anything but. Why should you ...

Discover More

What are Bed Bugs?

If you have been listening to the news at all recently, it seems like there isn't a day that goes by without hearing ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.