Parasites from our Pets
03/12/07

Are you and your family at risk for getting parasites from your pets? Statistics say you may be. An estimated 15 million people are infected with parasites from animals every year. Ten thousand children get sick from parasitic diseases from animals every year. 750 people are permanently blinded by roundworm infection every year.

Our children live and play in closest proximity to our pets and they are not as likely to wash their hands appropriately. They are most at risk for contracting one of these parasites. The migrating larval stages of both roundworms and hookworms, common parasites of dogs and cats, can cause serious disease in people. The larvae of roundworms can migrate through our liver, lungs, and other organs including the brain and eyes. A single roundworm can produce 85,000 eggs per day. These eggs are infective in as little as 10 days and can survive in soil for years. These are very efficient and successful parasites that pose a very real threat to humans.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) was formed in 2004 to produce new guidelines for parasite control in pet animals. I encourage all pet owners and especially those with children to visit their website at www.petsandparasites.org. There you will find steps you and your veterinarian can take to prevent parasitic infections. The guidelines they have established are more aggressive than many veterinarians currently recommend and emphasize frequent stool sample examinations and dewormings especially when pets are young as well as year round once monthly broad spectrum parasite medications such as Sentinel^® and Interceptor^® for dogs and Revolution^® for cats. CAPC also recommends at least annual stool exams using a centrifugation technique with at least 3 grams of stool. This method is 100 times more sensitive than the common flotation exam method which has been the standard of care in veterinary hospitals for many years.

It is up to us to ensure that our pets don’t endanger our families or our neighbors’. Surveys indicate that over 50% of pets don’t get regular parasite control. Make sure your pets on the side of that equation that promotes both their health and yours.