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Age Old Q: Should I de-worm my dogs?
Oi! So, I have been doing some research on whether or not to de-worm my dogs, and there is alot of conflicting information! It seems to be a fairly grey area.
It seems to me, that people worm based at least partially on where they live and the climate there (makes sense). I live in Southern AB... winters are fairly cold, but summers can become quite hot at times. We don't have too much humidity or moisture in this part of AB. Does anyone in Southern AB regularly de-worm your dogs? I have never had a vet suggest bringing in a stool sample, so I'm not sure if they are a huge problem here...? My dogs do not consume feces (either their own or any other animals... there is not much wildlife where I live) or get into anything else outside. I pick up after them every day and regularly wash out their crates etc. Should I treat anyways as a preventative? I am weary to do this if its unneccessary... on the other hand, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#2
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I am not familiar with the demographics however regular fecal testing or deworming can be highly beneficial.
Some basic info on pet intestinal parasites: 1) Most all parasite eggs are NOT visible by the naked eye. Tapeworm eggs are. Roundworm and hookworm eggs are NOT. They can only be seen under the microscope. The giardia and coccidia organisms are not visible by the naked eye. 2) Most of the parasites that pets gets are contagious to people, that is they are zoonotic. In the US, over 100,000 people get roundworm infections from their pets per year with over 700 of those cases leading to a form that locates by the eye and if untreated can lead to permanent blindness. There was a case in los Angeles several years ago of a 6 year old boy who got roundworms from his dog and permanently lost sight in his left eye. 3) Pets that have intestinal parasites for the most part are NORMAL looking. That is, they do NOT have diarrhea, they do not appear sick. Remember most all wild animals have intestinal parasites and look/act normal with normal looking stool. Now with that said, I don't want this to come across as a "scare tactic". In realistic terms 100,000 cases a year in the US is super small. The point is that it can happen so I think you said it best about an ounce of prevention. Is it better to run a fecal test or to deworm? There isn't a right answer to this. The advantages to running a fecal test are: 1) we administer medication only if deemed necessary, 2) we know what parasite we are dealing with. Disadvantages: fecals can miss parasites. For testing to make sure that we don't have parasites, three fecal tests done one week are apart is recommended. This is one of the reasons why deworming is so common. Another advantage of deworming is the fact that the medication is very safe and clears the system quite rapidly. Another consideration. If your pet is on heartworm prevention, then most of those medications also get rid of the two most common parasites of hookworms and roundworms. The Companion Animal Parasite Council CAPC is probably one of the best resources out there. They have info on all the various parasites (both internal and external) along with recommendations. Here is the link: Companion Animal Parasite Council CAPC Guidelines
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Christopher A. Lee, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM Preventive Medicine Specialist With a Focus on Immunology and Infectious Disease myvetzone.com |
#3
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Dr. Lee, how would a person know if they're infected with parasites from their dogs?
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"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -Will Durant |
#4
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Human systems have been used to being free of the typical parasites for longer than dogs and cats. Between that and primate physiology, they typically have a much higher incidence of having clinical signs from parasite infection. So most of the time, people will not feel well with intestinal parasites and will exhibit gastrointestinal signs.People seem to get parasites from other people, lakes, streams etc... more than from their pets.
General disclaimer: always ask your physician if you are concerned. Generally doctors will run fecal tests or provide deworming as well.
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Christopher A. Lee, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM Preventive Medicine Specialist With a Focus on Immunology and Infectious Disease myvetzone.com |
#5
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Thanks Dr. Lee, I will use the info you have provided as well as talk to my vet and see how much of a concern it is to de-worm in my area or not. I may run a fecal test regardless.
Thanx again.
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
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