Below you'll find links and articles on both external parasites (fleas, ticks) and internal parasites (heartworms, etc). Click on the link to read each article.
Fifteen years ago pet owners waged war on fleas and ticks with aerosol bombs and flea collars. A considerable amount of time and money was spent on spreading insecticides in our homes and treating Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Today's external parasite preventives have never been more effective and safe. In many cases, a once a month tablet or a topical application of less than 2 milliliters is all that is needed to prevent you and your pet from suffering. The following products are used in the prevention of external parasites.
FLEAS
Pets can pick up fleas on walks and other outings outside the home. A population of as few as ten adult female fleas can quickly grow to a quarter of a million in just 30 days. While the adult fleas remain on the pet, the eggs the lay fall off into the home and yard. In a short time, your carpet, furniture, lawn and other areas can become the center of a severe flea infestation.
Flea Life Cycle
EGG STAGE A female flea lays as many as 50 eggs per day on your pet. The eggs aren't sticky -- they quickly fall off your pet and hatch in two to five days. A female lays about 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
LARVAL STAGE After hatching, the larvae head toward dark places around your home and feed on "flea dirt" -- excrement of the partially digested blood of your pet. The larvae grow, molt twice, then spin cocoons, where they grow to pupae.
PUPA STAGE The length of this stage averages 8 to 9 days. Depending upon weather conditions, population explosions typically occur 5 to 6 weeks after the weather starts to warm up.
ADULT STAGE The adults emerge from their cocoons when they detect heat, vibrations and exhaled carbon dioxide indicating that a host is nearby. Once they hop onto a host, the adults mate and begin the life cycle all over again. The entire life cycle can be as short as 3 to 4 weeks.
Ailments
FLEA ALLERGY DERMATITIS (FAD) when a flea bites your pet, it deposits a small amount of saliva in the skin. Your pet can develop FAD in reaction to this saliva, which causes severe itching. In addition to your pet scratching or biting excessively around the tail, groin or backside, scabs or bumps may also appear on your pet's neck or back.
ANEMIA occurs in young, older or ill pets if too many fleas suck their blood. The symptoms of anemia include pale gums, weakness and lethargy in your pet.
FLEA CONTROL PLAN
DAY BEFORE TREATMENT
1. Vacuum all carpeting, upholstered furniture, under furniture, along baseboards, and in closets.
2. Seal vacuum bag and discard.
TREATMENT DAY
1. Pick up all washable throws, blankets, comforters, pillows, and pet bedding.
-Place all washables in plastic bags for storage or launder immediately in warm or hot water. Don't put laundered washables back into environment until pets and environment are treated.
2. Bathe pet in flea shampoo. Please ask us what we recommend. Be sure to treat all the pets.
3. Apply Frontline Top Spot as the"dip."(Wait 48 HRS after bath to apply frontline)
4. Treat the house thoroughly yourself or have a professional do the job.
-Use our Knock-out Spray that has an insecticide to kill the adult fleas
and a growth hormone that prevents flea eggs from developing.
5. How to Apply Spray:
-Apply a good, even spray to all carpeted areas including baseboards and room perimeter. Spot treat additional areas where flea larvae hide like under furniture, between furniture cushions and in your pets favorite resting spots.
*Make sure the carpeted areas are dry before returning your pets.
AFTERWARD
1. Use Frontline as a monthly treatment thereafter during flea season.
2. Re-treat your house in 14 days after the first treatment if severe flea infestation.
*Be sure to repeat the DAY BEFORE and TREATMENT DAY steps when retreating the house.
THE PUPAL WINDOW
1. Pupae are a resting stage of the flea.
2. Pupae are protected and hidden in a silk cocoon. The cocoon is waterproof so pupae are not susceptible to insecticides or growth hormones.
3. Over the next 2 to 4 weeks the pupae will emerge out of their cocoons as young, juvenile fleas.
4. Emergence is stimulated by vibrations and heat.
5. This emergence is called the pupal window.
6. The pupal window makes it necessary to re-treat the house in 2 weeks when there is a severe flea infestation. Do not be discouraged by these young fleas. It is a normal part of the flea's life cycle and the second treatment should eliminate them.
TICKS
Ticks are a nuisance for dog, cats and your family. Not only do they cause blood loss, irritation and infection where they attach, they may also transmit to your pets and your family certain illnesses like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Erlichiosis, and Lyme's disease.
Tick Life Cycle
EGG STAGE Ticks lay eggs in secluded areas of dense vegetation that are several inches high. The eggs take about two weeks to hatch. Adult females of some tick species lay about 100 eggs at a time; others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch.
LARVAL STAGE After hatching, the larvae move into grass or shrubs in search of their first blood meal. If you or your pet passes by, they attach themselves and crawl upward in pursuit of an area on the skin to feed from.
NYMPHAL STAGE After this first blood meal, the larvae molt into their nymph stage and begin searching for their next host. Nymphs are the size of a freckle and often go undetected, increasing the chance for disease transmission.
ADULT STAGE The adult female feeds for 8 to 12 days, possibly increasing its weight 100 times while feeding. While still on the host, the female will mate, fall off and lay her egg mass in a secluded place -- beginning the life cycle again.
Ailments
LYME DISEASE A bacterial infection that is usually carried by the Deer tick. Symptoms include lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and an abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes. Often treatable with antibiotics.
BABESIOSIS In the dog, acute symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite, and general deterioration. Puppies 4 -12 weeks old are probably most susceptible. Shock, coma or death after less than a day of lethargy and loss of appetite can occur. Responds to a variety of treatments if caught early, although blood transfusion may be necessary in later stages of the disease.
EHRLICHIOSIS An infectious blood disease that attacks your pet's white blood cells, crippling the immune system. Symptoms include fever, depression, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Treatable with antibiotics.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER Often transmitted by the American dog tick. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, coughing, lameness, depression, vomiting and diarrhea. If untreated it can result in the more acute symptoms or even death.
CYTAUXZOONOSIS An acute, usually fatal disease in cats. Symptoms include loss of appetite and depression, followed by one to three days of fever. Death may follow in one to three days after that.
Internal parasites found in SW Missouri
Internal Parasites are common to both dogs and cats in Southwest Missouri. The most widespread include heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, coccidia and tapeworms. Because there are few outward signs, many parasites go undetected until your animal becomes sick because of damage to the heart, lungs or digestive tract.
Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are the most dangerous of all canine internal parasites, and can cause serious heart and lung disease and can be fatal if left untreated. Living in the dogs heart, these worms can be as long as 14 inches. This harmful parasite is transmitted from dog to dog by the mosquito and spreads rapidly in warm, humid weather.
Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum) are attach to the intestinal lining with hook-like teeth and feed on the hosts blood. As few as 30 adult hookworms can cause a dog to loose an ounce of blood a day. Heavy infestations of puppies can be fatal to puppies. Hookworm eggs are released in the dog and cat's intestine and pass out in the feces. The larvae are swallowed or can penetrate the skin of both animals and people.
Roundworms (Toxicara canis and leonina) can cause animals to have rough hair coats, bloated bellies, vomiting, diarrhea and colic. Up to 50% of the puppies and kittens seen at Deerfield are born with this intestinal dwelling parasite. Older dogs become infected by coming into contact with soil containing roundworm eggs.
Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) are two-to-three inch long parasites that live in the large intestine and cecum of dogs and can cause diarrhea, dehydration, and weight loss. Southwest Missouri has a high incidence of whipworm infestations compared to other areas of the United States. Once established in your yard, they are extremely difficult to clear. So its important to provide ongoing protection for your dog. Currently, no OTC products are available for the elimination of whipworms.
Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum)appear as short, white, "rice-like" segments in your dog or cats stool. They are the most common parasite in pets and are transmitted by fleas. Tapeworms irritate your pet's intestine and reduce food absorption. There are not effective OTC products to eliminate tapeworm infections.
Coccidia (Isopora spp.)are small organisms that infect dogs and cats most often those in kennels, pet stores or wherever many animals live together. Adult coccidia in an infected dog will shed tiny egg-like organisms called oocyst through the animals stool. After accidental ingestion, the new organisms multiple rapidly after invading the walls of the intestine. Signs include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, listlessness, dehydration and weight loss. As with all parasite infections, puppies and kittens are most at risk.
The good news is that proper veterinary care and the right preventives can control these parasites. Medicines are available to remove the worms, and in many cases, reduce the risk of reinfection.
