Having pets in our lives is a wonderful thing. Whether fur or feathers, scales or scutes, sometimes our pets bring home extra passengers – parasites!  These parasites can be internal (endoparasites) or external (ectoparasites), and include worms, insects, and flukes. Internal parasites can cause tissue and organ destruction while external parasites can cause mild to severe skin irritation. Large infections of internal parasites can cause malnutrition and even death.

The most common endoparasites intestinal worms in companion animals include round, hook, whip and tapeworm.  Next most common endoparasite is Heartworm. This is far more common in dogs than cats. Testing poop and blood tests can detect these intestinal and heartworm parasites respectively.

The most common ectoparasites include fleas, ticks, mites (demodex and sarcoptes) and flies.  Sometimes a diagnosis of external parasites is simple with visualisation of the bugs on the skin.  Other times a quick test such as a skin scraping or hair pluck is required to find the bugs.  Understanding where the bugs may live, whether inside the ear canals or around the tail base, can help us locate the bugs on our pets.

There are many products available for the treatment and prevention of parasites in our pets.  Selecting which to use is personal preference for the owner and even the pet.  Price and ease of giving the treatment differs between products.  As with all medications it is very important to read the instructions carefully, including age, pregnancy status and weight restrictions for some treatments.

If you have questions or concerns about your pets parasite control, you can call Our Pet Mobile Vet for a chat about what is best for your pet.