No Parasites? No Need for Deworming in Cats and Dogs?

Common Parasites in Pets and Prevention Methods

Roundworms

This is the most common parasitic infection in kittens and puppies. These parasites are creamy white, resembling rubber bands, and reside in the intestines, absorbing nutrients that have already been digested by the cats and dogs.

Symptoms of Infection:

They include vomiting, bloating, malnutrition, prominent ribs, alternating diarrhea and constipation, and a lack of weight gain despite eating.

Transmission Routes:

Roundworms are often vertically transmitted from the mother, so kittens and puppies should be dewormed at one month of age. Fecal examinations can detect the presence of worm eggs, indicating whether there are worms in the belly. Additionally, consuming unclean food can lead to infection.

Preventive Measures:

Deworming medications can quickly expel roundworms.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms resemble flat noodles and inhabit the intestines, absorbing nutrients.

Symptoms of Infection:

They can be identified by the presence of moving worm segments in the feces. Tapeworms can cause severe itching around the anus in puppies, leading them to sit on the ground and rub, so pet owners must be vigilant.

Transmission Channels:

Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas, so puppies with fleas may also be infected. It is crucial to control fleas on pets, as fleas often carry tapeworm eggs. Consuming undercooked meat and seafood can also lead to tapeworm infection.

Preventive Measures:

Monthly topical deworming can prevent and kill fleas, effectively controlling tapeworm infections transmitted by fleas. In addition to controlling fleas, it is recommended to administer deworming medication to cats and dogs every one to three months to prevent intestinal parasitic infections such as tapeworms.

Hookworms

Hookworms reside in the duodenum. These tiny parasites have a hooklike head that bites into the intestinal wall of cats and dogs to feed on blood.

Symptoms of Infection:

They cause bloody or black stools and anemia. Roundworm eggs can be seen in fecal examinations.

Transmission Channels:

They can be transmitted through the skin, mouth, or placenta. They are more common in warm, humid regions and are prevalent during the summer.

Preventive Measures:

Oral deworming medications can effectively expel hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms.

Pinworms

Pinworms, also known as threadworms, hatch in the stomach and duodenum and eventually develop in the lower part of the small intestine and the large intestine.

Symptoms of Infection:

At night, when cats and dogs are asleep, their anal sphincters relax, and the pinworms crawl out to lay eggs around the anus. This can cause itching and disrupt sleep.

Transmission Channels:

They can be transmitted through contact with infected pets, crosscontamination from external environments, unclean living conditions, and pets chewing on shoes or clothes worn outside.

Preventive Measures:

Regular deworming, maintaining a clean environment, avoiding pets consuming unclean food, and washing beds and toys frequently are essential.

Whipworms

Whipworms are thin, whiplike parasites that reside in the cecum and large intestine, with their eggs excreted in the feces.

Symptoms of Infection:

They can lead to stunted growth in kittens and puppies, chronic diarrhea, and blood in the stool. Severe cases can cause colitis and cecitis. Roundworm eggs can be seen in fecal examinations.

Transmission Channels:

They are transmitted through consuming unclean food and oral infection.

Preventive Measures:

It is crucial to clean thoroughly, replace all toys and items used by pets, and change their beds regularly. Deworming medications can prevent infection and reduce the risk of human infection.

Coccidia

Coccidia parasites reside in the mucosa of the small intestine and within cells.

Symptoms of Infection:

Cats and dogs may experience loss of appetite, diarrhea, anemia, dehydration, weight loss, and lack of energy. Severe cases can lead to fatal hemorrhagic diarrhea and enteritis, often misdiagnosed as general enteritis. Pet owners must be vigilant if their pets are infected with this parasite.

Transmission Channels:

They are transmitted through consuming unclean food and oral infection.

Preventive Measures:

After diagnosis by a veterinarian, deworming medications can be used to reduce the excretion of coccidia eggs, stop diarrhea, and alleviate symptoms.

Heartworms

Adult heartworms resemble thin rice noodles and reside in the right ventricle and nearby blood vessels, transmitted by mosquitoes.

Symptoms of Infection:

After a dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying infective larvae, the worms travel through the bloodstream to the right ventricle, where they grow and mature. After about seven months, they become adults and produce larvae, which spread throughout the body. These larvae often settle in the liver and kidneys, causing severe damage. The adult worms can accumulate in the right ventricle, leading to its enlargement and preventing the complete return of blood to the liver. This can result in liver enlargement and the accumulation of abdominal fluid. Excessive worms can also reach the lungs, causing obstruction.

Cats and dogs may become easily tired, lose weight, cough, and have difficulty breathing. Adult worms may also travel throughout the body, causing local thrombosis. If the worms are in the coronary arteries that supply the heart with nutrients, it can lead to heart failure and sudden death.

Transmission Channels:

Heartworms are transmitted between healthy and infected cats and dogs through mosquito bites. The larvae develop into adults and reproduce within the host over about six to seven months. Advanced testing methods can detect heartworm infection through blood tests.

Preventive Measures:

The key to treatment is to expel the adult worms. Preventing and eliminating mosquitoes is crucial for preventing this disease, so using deworming medications to prevent mosquito infections is also very important.

Common Misconceptions About Deworming

One: "My pet doesn't have worms because it never goes outside and doesn't come into contact with other pets." Many pet owners believe that because their pets never go outside and do not interact with other pets, they are not at risk of parasitic infections. However, animals have the habit of lying on the ground and licking themselves, so even pets that stay indoors can become infected with parasites. Pet owners can bring back worm eggs from outdoor pet feces, grass, public toilets, or rainwater on their shoes, which can be ingested by pets when they chew or lick shoes, leading to infection.

Two: "Deworming only needs to be done once a year." Deworming medications are different from vaccines; their effectiveness only lasts for a certain period. Therefore, even adult dogs should be dewormed every 13 months, and in regions with a humid climate yearround, deworming may need to be done every 12 months to prevent internal parasitic diseases effectively.

Three: "If there are no worms in the feces, the pet doesn't have worms inside." Even if there are no worms in a pet's feces, or even after deworming, this does not mean that the pet does not have worms inside. Parasites may not have developed into adults or may be spread as eggs. Therefore, deworming should not be skipped simply because no parasites have been seen in the feces.

Four: "If the pet shows no symptoms, there is no need for deworming." Deworming is as important as vaccination! Deworming is often preventive, and it's too late once symptoms appear. It's important to know that excessive parasites can cause intestinal obstruction, which may require surgery to correct. Anemia and diarrhea can lead to many fatal complications. Regular preventive deworming is a responsible approach for both pets and their owners.

Five: "If the pet has been vaccinated, there is no need for deworming." Vaccination and deworming are two completely different aspects of pet health. Vaccines are primarily used to control the occurrence of diseases such as rabies and canine distemper, while parasites, as parasitic organisms, are not killed by vaccines.

Six: "All deworming medications can expel all types of parasites." There are many different types of parasites, including internal and external parasites. Different medications target different types of parasites.

Tip: Click How to Completely Solve Pet Parasite Problems for more information on cat and dog parasites.