Though you’re not able to physically see your pet’s intestinal worms, it doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Deworming your pet ensures they are protected against infections caused by parasites. Creating a regular schedule for deworming treatments ensures your pet is worm and infection-free.
Why should I have my pet dewormed?
Intestinal worms can create serious health complications for your pet, causing havoc on their insides. Intestinal worms can cause a range of symptoms, including diarrhea, weight loss, tiredness and vomiting. If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact our team as soon as you can. We recommend pets get dewormed at least twice a year but the frequency increases if they have more contact with children or immunocompromised people.
What types of worms affect pets?
There are a few worms that most commonly infect furry friends, including roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms. Roundworms are one of the most common to infect cats and dogs. They can be passed on through eggs in infected feces, to other pets, wild animals and even humans. Your furry friend can get tapeworms if they swallow infected fleas. Once swallowed, the larvae can grow into an adult worm. If your pet is only infected with a couple hookworms, you might not notice any symptoms. However, a higher worm count causes diarrhea, anemia and tiredness. Just like pets infected with hookworms, whipworms manifest as symptoms like diarrhea with blood, weight loss, anemia and tiredness, if they have a higher worm count.
How does deworming work?
We’ll prescribe deworming medication based on your pet’s needs. Their dosage will depend on their overall health, weight and age. Dewormers are formulated with active ingredients like piperazine that work by paralyzing parasites and worms, stopping their attack on your pet’s intestinal tract. It typically takes your pet a few days to get back to their normal selves after they have taken the medication. Possible side effects include vomiting and diarrhea. If you’re interested in having your pet dewormed, please contact us at 403-938-4171.
