My dog’s leash has poop bags tied to the handle. I have a stash in my car, my purse and I have been known to take more than one from the public dispensaries. I feel like we have a connection, my poop bags, and I. When the time comes, my hand is poised and ready, wrapped in a poop bag as I bend over to pick up LB’s little present.
Have you ever reached to pick up your dog’s poop to see rice looking segments in there? Those little granules may be segments from tapeworm. Some of the common worms are the tapeworm, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. Pets can get worms from ingesting soil or water, or other animal feces that are infected with parasite spores or eggs. Puppies and kittens often get internal parasites from their mothers. Fleas, rodents are an intermediate host for tapeworms, and your pet can become infected with tapeworms by consuming these intermediate hosts.
The receptionist team have seen many types of worms cross the front desk from concerned clients, waving their Ziploc baggies with specimen intact. If our veterinarians have seen your dog or cat in the last year, we can dispense prescription medication needed to treat for internal parasites. “Worming medication” comes in a tablet or chewable form for dogs, and for cats, there are topical and oral medications. One dose of the correct medication will purge your pet of all the mature internal parasites, however, if immature forms are developing which often happens with puppies and kittens treatment will have to be repeated at your veterinarian’s recommendation.
It is smart to deworm your animal regularly, we recommend deworming your pet 3-4 times per year and having a fecal examination yearly. Our staff remember to deworm their pets when we have a season change, write it on your calendar so you don’t forget. You may also want to book an appointment
Written by Meghan Seal, Inventory Specialist
