five creepy facts about parasites you may not know

Is something creepy bugging your pet? From external parasites like fleas and ticks to internal parasites like heartworms, hookworms, and roundworms, parasites can be an uncomfortable topic for us, but can cause even more discomfort for our furry friends. 

In a recent episode of Banfield Pet Hospital’s podcast, Not Just Fluff, we spoke to Dr. Michael Piccione, area chief of staff for Banfield, Houston North to tackle the issue of parasites, and discuss how animal guardians can defend their BFFs against creepy-crawlies. 

Keep reading for five facts from this episode to keep top of mind for parasite prevention.

Heartworms are spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. 

“Heartworms, like the name says, are worms that live in the heart. Commonly, I'll get clients that ask me, ‘Well, are heartworms another gastrointestinal parasite?’ Unfortunately, they're not. But heartworms literally live inside the heart and they're transmitted by mosquitoes. If you have mosquitoes where you live, there are heartworms out and about. Once your dog or cat gets bit by an infected mosquito, they can potentially transmit that heartworm via that bite. And so again, wherever there's mosquitoes, heartworms are not too far behind.” 
-Dr. Michael Piccione

It’s a common misconception that heartworms are only a summertime issue. Mosquito season can fluctuate depending on the region you live in, so year-round preventive heartworm treatment is essential.

Having your pet dewormed once does not mean your pet is immune to parasites. 

When you adopt a pet, it is often communicated that they have been dewormed, which is great! However, you need to be sure you’re bringing your pets in for regular wellness checks and speak to your vet about parasite prevention.

Not all over-the-counter medication will be the right fit for your pet. 

With some pet parasite medications sold over the counter, it can be tempting to purchase what is available with the best intentions to quickly treat a parasite. However, not every medication is appropriate for every pet. 
 
“Not all flea preventions are created equal. And because of that, not all flea preventions are appropriate in all species. So what's good for a dog may not be good for a cat, and vice versa. There are some drugs out there that if you apply it to a cat and it's labeled for dogs only, [they] can create profound side effects, seizures, and even death. I've seen those cases firsthand and they're very alarming. And that's why it's so important to stick with what's recommended by your veterinarian.” 
-Dr. Michael Piccione 

The bottom line? Speak to your veterinarian before administering any new medication. 

Indoor pets need parasite prevention too. 

For many of our feline-loving readers, it may seem that parasites are less of a risk if our kitties are kept indoors. But it’s still important to take the same preventive caution when it comes to our indoor-dwelling cat pals. 

"People can actually transmit these parasites, the eggs, via their shoes or whatever it may be. So we can be inadvertent carriers of these parasites and transmit them indoors. Not only that, but fleas are not limited to outdoors. They can jump on us, then they can jump on [our] pets, making their way inside. And finally, the last thing I'll say, and it resonates with me a lot, is we talk about heartworms and being transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, there’s no invisible barrier on our front doors or our windows that say, ‘Oh, I've gone too far, I can't go in this door.’ They're going to come and go as they please. If you have a dog or cat that is indoor-only, I feel prevention is arguably just as important because they will find a way in.” 
-Dr. Michael Piccione 

Stay one step ahead of these invasive pests by regularly checking your cats and dogs for fleas. 

Lifelong preventive care is an important part of parasite prevention.

Parasites are not the happiest topic, but education and prevention are key first steps to happy, healthy pets. 

"I am very big into preventive care and preventive medicine. And so for me, I recommend testing once yearly [for heartworms], whether it be for our dogs or our cats. If we do have an owner that comes in that may have missed prevention … so say they come in and they say, well, we've been off prevention for the last four months, I will recommend rechecking that patient sooner, depending on a number of factors. But nonetheless, once yearly is really that gold standard. There's always going to be exceptions. But once yearly seems to be the sweet spot to really make sure that we're staying on top of any and all cases. Because again, prevention in general is worth so much to the quality of medicine and that patient's health overall.” 
-Dr. Michael Piccione

Want to learn more? Visit our parasite hub for a wealth of information on parasite prevention, control, and treatment. 

Listen to the full podcast episode with Dr. Michael Piccione, and don’t forget to rate and review Not Just Fluff on Apple Podcasts!