Canine Parasites & Prevention

Canine Parasites

Heartworm

Heartworm is a type of worm that lives as an adult in the heart and main blood vessels of dogs. Mosquitoes carry the immature forms from an infected pet to the unprotected pet. It is very expensive and dangerous to kill the adult worms as they live in the heart, but prevention is highly effective and simple to do!

Ticks

Ticks are extremely hardy and carry many life-threatening diseases for pets and people. Keeping ticks from attaching to an active pet during the spring and fall is essential. The most dangerous forms of ticks are very small and difficult to see in a pet’s hair coat. Today, ticks transmit several diseases that can be debilitating and impossible to completely cure. Minnesota is considered to be the premier state for transmission of two of these diseases: Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.

Fleas/Mites

Fleas and mites are very prevalent in the state of Minnesota in spite of our severe winters. Up to 70% of the wildlife in our backyards (rabbits, opossum, etc.) may carry the dog and cat flea all year round. This is the most common source of infection in our area. Fleas can transmit tapeworms and cause flea allergic dermatitis. The adult flea lives on the pets and the eggs and larvae live in the pet’s environment (bedding, carpet, etc.). Mites are carried by many forms of wildlife and from cat-to-cat and dog-to-dog. They can cause extreme discomfort with severe ear and skin itching.

Annual Blood Antigen Testing

All dogs should have an annual negative heartworm test. It only takes a few drops of blood for this test to detect two or three of the adults living in the heart. We combine this simple blood test with screening for tick transmitted diseases as well. We also recommend yearly preventative blood screenings to check complete blood cell counts, chemistry analysis and thyroid function.

TYPES OF PARASITE PREVENTION FOR DOGS