Summer in North Dakota brings green sprawling vistas, stunning sunsets, and theatrical thunderstorms. Along with all the good, we all know it also brings mosquitoes. As we are swatting away at our arms, we need to stop and think of our pets. Parasites are one of my least favorite topics, because the idea of something living inside our beloved pets is just GROSS. Parasite prevention is confusing for me as a veterinarian and I can only imagine making a pet parent’s eyes glaze over. My hope is to try and simplify the concepts for everyone to begin to understand.
To over simplify; there are 3 main types of parasites:
-Heartworm: Heartworm has to top the list for my least favorite parasite. It is a worm that is transmitted in a baby stage by a mosquito from dog to dog. Once the worm grows up it takes up residence in the heart of the dog. As you can imagine this parasite is a BIG risk. To complete the life stage in a mosquito the outside temperature needs to stay above 57 F for 10-14 days. Thankfully, in our area last year we did not have 1 week that was fully above that temperature.
In my 7 years as a veterinarian in the area, I have not seen a dog become infected with heartworm that has lived its whole life in the Minot area. That is just 1 veterinarian’s experience, so take it at face value. I have seen heartworm cases and they can be devastating, but all of the animals either originated or traveled outside of the area.
This information may lead you to consider not giving any heartworm prevention, which I would warn against; simply because the risk of becoming infected with heartworms brings many costs, physically for your pet, emotionally for you, and financially for your wallet. I think six month coverage of a typical heartworm prevention is warranted in our area, then you don’t have to keep on top of watching the temperature to make sure the temperature stays above 57 F. In addition many of the heartworm preventatives also prevent a variety of internal parasites, including the most common parasites.
-Internal, think intestinal parasites (roundworms, pinworms, tape worms, etc): These parasites have a variety of life cycles, the most common way a pet gets exposed to these worms is from their moms as puppies or kittens, or from accidentally or intentionally eating different animal poop. It is generally recommended to keep your pets on a heartworm preventative which covers many of these parasites. It is also recommended to get a fecal floatation test performed yearly to check for any parasites that may not be covered by a general deworming treatment.
-External: fleas, ticks, mites, and creepy crawlies. Many of these parasites can carry diseases that can infect people. Ticks are our biggest problem in the greater Minot Area, the most common tick we see is the wood tick, also known as the dog tick. Ticks can become active when temperatures reach over freezing, which does include most months. Traditionally in our area most pet guardians decide to give their pets prevention when ticks are most active in the spring and summer. The larval and nymph stages of ticks cannot generally be seen and still potentially bite, so it is never wrong to continue a tick medication year round, especially with the ever growing map of Lyme disease. Luckily we do not have the deer tick endemic to our area, but studies show it continues to move more and more west every year; so your veterinarian may recommend yearly prevention if we notice that the deer ticks are becoming more common.
Luckily in our pet population fleas are very uncommon in our area; however, I have seen pets infected in the area. These pets usually come from unsanitary conditions or have access to wild life; which can be a flea reservoir. If you have concerns about fleas contact your veterinarian and they will help provide a comprehensive treatment plan, which should include treating the individual pet, any additional pets in contact, and the environment as well!
-Treatment can be as simple or as confusing as you want it to be, in general treatment for heartworms takes care of MOST internal parasites, for external parasites a separate treatment is needed. That being said every year the vet offices are teaming with drug reps trying to peddle the newest twist on parasite treatment; this can include combinations of medications that get all types of parasites, different methods (injections, pills, collars, drops, etc.), new medication classes, and so on. Parasite prevention as with all medicine comes down to risks (pet health risk, monetary, etc.) vs rewards. Most parasiticides do come with risks ranging from GI upset to potentially seizures, and it is also important to note the balance of the risks of deciding not to treat. It is important to discuss this with your veterinarian and come to a decision that best fits your own personal level of risk tolerance.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of veterinary medicine, including the giving of veterinary medical advice, and no veterinary/patient/client relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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