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Heartworm & Parasite Prevention: Keeping Your Pet Safe
Parasites aren’t just a nuisance—they can cause serious health problems for both pets and people. At The inFURmary, we provide comprehensive parasite screening, prevention, and treatment to keep your pet healthy year-round.
Common Parasites & How They Affect Your Pet
Fleas & Ticks 🕷️
- Fleas – These tiny pests cause itching, allergic reactions, and can transmit tapeworms and Bartonella (cat scratch disease). Fleas are a year-round problem in San Diego.
- Ticks – Can spread serious diseases, including:
- Ehrlichia – A bacterial infection that affects blood cells, leading to fever, joint pain, and weakness. 1 in 100 dogs in San Diego County test positive for Ehrlichia.
- Anaplasma – Causes flu-like symptoms and joint pain in dogs and cats. 1 in 50 dogs in San Diego County test positive for Anaplasma.
- Lyme Disease (in some areas) – Can cause joint swelling, fever, and kidney issues. 1 in 200 dogs in San Diego County test positive for Lyme Disease.
Heartworm Disease 🦟
- Spread by mosquito bites, heartworms live in the heart and lungs, leading to lung disease, heart failure, and death if left untreated.
- Dogs are the primary host, but cats can also develop serious complications from heartworms.
- Prevention is key—there is no safe heartworm treatment for cats, and treatment for dogs is expensive and difficult.
- 1 in 300 dogs in San Diego County test positive for heartworm.
Intestinal Parasites
These parasites live in the digestive tract and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition. Many can also spread to humans.
- Roundworms – Common in puppies and kittens, these worms can be passed through the mother or contaminated soil. Affects 1 in 100 dogs in San Diego County.
- Hookworms – Blood-sucking parasites that cause anemia and severe digestive issues. Affects 1 in 300 dogs in San Diego County.
- Whipworms – Tough parasites that can lead to chronic weight loss and bloody diarrhea.
- Tapeworms – Often spread by fleas, these worms attach to the intestines and may cause irritation or weight loss.
- Giardia – This parasite can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Affects 1 in 12 dogs in San Diego County.
- Coccidia – This parasite can cause diarrhea, dehydration, and weight loss.
Testing & Prevention
At The inFURmary, we offer routine parasite screening and customized prevention plans to protect not only your pet, but you as well. Many of these parasites, including roundworms, tapeworms, and giardia are zoonotic, meaning you can catch them from your pet!
Heartworm Testing – Recommended annually for all dogs, as early detection is crucial.
Fecal Testing – Checks for intestinal parasites that may not show obvious symptoms.
Year-Round Preventives – We offer safe, effective monthly medications to prevent heartworms, fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites.
Protect Your Pet Today!
🐾 While treatment may be difficult, prevention is always easy! Regular testing and year-round preventives keep your pet healthy and save you from costly treatments down the road.
📅 Schedule your pet’s parasite screening and prevention consultation today!
