First, PREVENTION!
Hygiene and Environmental Control
Promptly pick up dog waste.
This prevents worm eggs from contaminating the environment and spreading to other animals or humans.
Clean Up Potential Exposure Areas
Regularly disinfect areas where dogs defecate and sanitize bedding and food bowls to prevent re-infestation.
Be Mindful Of Public Spaces
Avoid areas with high concentrations of dog or other animal feces, and practice good hygiene, especially with children. Places like this include dog parks, vet clinics, doggie day cares, grooming salons, boarding facilities, and pet stores.
Wash The Dog’s Paws
After walks or visits to potentially contaminated areas, wash your dog's paws with dog shampoo or use wipes.
Fleas and Ticks
Preventing Flea and Tick Infestations
If your dog spends time outdoors, especially on farms or in areas with potential flea and tick exposure, you might need to consider prophylactic deworming or regular flea and tick treatments. Even dogs who live in big cities or urban areas should still be on a flea and tick preventative.
Tapeworms Can Be Transmitted Through Fleas!
Tapeworms are often spread through fleas, so year-round flea prevention is crucial.
What Can You Use?
The list of flea and tick preventatives is almost endless. There are topicals, oral medication, collars holistic options, and yard preventions. We would recommend that you were closely with your vet to find the correct one that works best for you. Some topical do not work very well along with flea and tick collars, but some do.
We personally use a combination of revolution, the topical and Simpartica Trio. We additionally use Wondercide flea and tick spray on the dogs coats and their brand of yard spray.
Tick-Borne Diseases
Several types of tick-borne diseases can affect dogs, including Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, Bartonellosis, and Hepatozoonosis. These diseases can cause serious health consequences for dogs and in some cases, can also be transmitted to humans
Dogs contract these generally when they are bitten by an infected tick.
Worms
Deworming Medication: Monthly
Many heartworm preventatives also offer protection against intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms.
Regular Stool Checks
Even with preventative medication, it's recommended to have your dog's stool checked by a veterinarian every 6 to 12 months to ensure the medication is effective.
Deworming Schedule
Puppies require a stricter deworming schedule initially, with treatments starting as early as 3 weeks of age and repeated every 2-3 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. Our puppies are wormed every two weeks! Our adults get treated monthly! Adult dogs STILL NEED TO BE DEWORMED EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE GROWN!
If you are not using Nexguard Plus or Simpartica Trio, you NEED to be doing a seperate deworming. Being a pet does not automatically protect them from worms. They can get them everywhere!
Can Humans Get Worms From Dogs?
YES! Some worms are zoonotic. Which means that they can pass on to humans! And this is part of why it’s so important.
Some common types of worms that can be transmitted from dogs to humans include:
- Roundworms (Toxocara canis): These worms can cause eye infections, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal problems in humans.
- Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum):Hookworms can cause skin rashes, diarrhea, and anemia in humans.
- Tapeworms (Echinococcus granulosus): These worms can cause cysts in the liver, lungs, and brain in humans.
Coccidia & Giardia
Coccidia and Giardia are RAMPANT this year! So don’t panic and go off the rails if your dog tests positive for them. My vets are seeing an all time high for it. They are treatable, but do require time dedicated to very thorough cleaning along with the treatment.
What Is Coccidia and Giardia?
Coccidia and Giardia are intestinal parasites in dogs that can cause diarrhea. Treatment involves medication prescribed by a veterinarian, along with environmental disinfection to prevent reinfection.
Coccidia
-Symptoms:
Coccidia infections are more common in puppies and can cause diarrhea, sometimes with blood or mucus.
-Diagnosis:
A fecal sample is examined under a microscope to identify the parasites.
-Treatment:
Sulfadimethoxine (Albon) is a common medication, but other options like ponazuril (Marquis) or toltrazuril (Baycox) may be used.
-Prevention:
Regularly remove feces, disinfect contaminated areas, and avoid areas with high dog traffic.
Giardia
-Symptoms:
Giardia can cause diarrhea, which may be soft or watery, and in some cases, bloody.
-Diagnosis:
A fecal sample is tested for Giardia cysts, often using a zinc sulfate flotation method.
-Treatment:
Metronidazole and fenbendazole are frequently used, but the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) suggests Drontal Plus as another option, according to Veterinary Partner.
-Prevention:
Promptly remove feces, bathe affected dogs to remove cysts, and disinfect contaminated areas.