Pet Wellness Care

Vaccines are injections of whole or parts of the organisms that cause a disease. For example, a rabies vaccine is an injection of killed rabies viruses. The body’s immune system “sees” these organisms and makes antibodies against them. These antibodies will destroy any live organisms the body is infected with in the future. This is called “immunity”.

In order for a vaccine to work, the injected animal must have a normal, healthy immune system.

For more information about vaccines, please read our Vaccine FAQ.

• Canine Vaccinations
• Feline Vaccinations

Most pet owners understand that puppies and kittens often have “worms”. Different worms can live in different parts of the body. For example: heartworms live in the heart. However, the grand majority of worms live in an animal’s intestines. These worms are “intestinal parasites.”

• Canine Intestinal Parasites
• Feline Intestinal Parasites

HOW DO PETS GET INTESTINAL PARASITES?
Frequently, puppies or kittens are infected with intestinal parasites while they are in the uterus or shortly thereafter. This is the reason that most baby animals have worms. Infected adult animals pass eggs in their stool. Other animals are then infected through contact with infected stool.

CAN PEOPLE CATCH WORMS FROM PETS?
Hookworm larvae migration in human foot

The term “zoonosis” refers to a disease that can pass from animals to humans. The zoonotic disease people are most familiar with is Rabies. Many people do not realize that Hookworms and Roundworms both have the potential to be zoonotic. Infection usually occurs from playing barefoot in an infected area or accidental ingestion of fecal material. In small children or immunosuppressed people, larvae can migrate through the feet into the liver or even in the eyes, causing serious disease. This is not a reason to fear, but it is a reason to actively identify and prevent intestinal parasites in puppies and dog.

WILL INTESTINAL PARASITES HARM MY PET?
All parasites harm the host in some manner. How badly the pet is harmed depends on the age and general health of the pet. Adult healthy animals may tolerate parasites well showing only mild effects. However, parasites can have a devastating effect on the young, old, and sick. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, loss of weight, and in some instances, life-threatening anemia. Parasites can also pose a risk to humans.

For these reasons, it is important to vigilantly protect your pets against intestinal parasites by performing yearly screening and administering monthly parasite preventative.

HOW WILL MY VETERINARIAN DETERMINE IF MY PET HAS WORMS?
Most intestinal parasites will pass their eggs into the pet’s stool as part of their reproduction cycle. These eggs can be identified by evaluating a fresh stool sample with a microscope. Your pet should have his stool evaluated in all the following instances:

• Puppy exams
• Yearly exams
• Your pet vomits, has diarrhea, or loses weight

Unfortunately, fecal exams, while helpful, are not 100%. Parasites and their eggs are only passed periodically in the stool. A stool sample performed when the egg or parasite is not present will be negative despite the fact that the pet is infected. To maximize the potential for identifying parasites, your veterinarian will want to test fresh stool in the highest volume possible. If your pet is having diarrhea, testing the loose stool or testing multiple samples is more accurate than testing a single normal stool.