What You Need to Know About That Walk In The Park
Infectious agents that can be passed from animals to people are called zoonotic infections. There are numerous zoonotic parasites that can be transmitted from dogs and cats as well as wild birds and mammals to people. Some are transmitted by accidental ingestion of microscopic eggs which can be found in contaminated soil and sand. Other parasites can enter the human body in their larval stage by burrowing directly through the skin. These may be acquired by walking on or lying down on contaminated sand or grass. These parasites could also be easily picked up while wiping one's face while gardening, or by walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach.
The most common problem caused by these parasites is due to the migration of the larval stage through various parts of the body, which can lead to discomfort, illness and even blindness. An estimated minimum of 750 cases of these worms ending up in the eyes of humans are diagnosed in the United States every year.
We at Birdneck Animal Hospital in Virginia Beach would like to offer the following tips to help keep your family safe.
Give your dog or cat a general dewormer every thirty days and a broad spectrum dewormer every six months. For the general dewormer, the monthly heartworm preventative also protects against some of the intestinal parasites. Our Virginia Beach Veterinarian, Dr. Johnson, recommends Heartgard, Interceptor, or Sentinel for dogs and Revolution for cats. As a twice yearly broad spectrum dewormer we dispense Drontal Plus for dogs and apply Profender to cats. Also, it is very important to have your pets stool sample checked for parasites at least every six months. In most cases, the stages of the parasites that pass in the stool are microscopic. Therefore, just because no parasites are seen, does not mean they are not there. Think prevention.