Apple Valley Animal Hospital
Coccidia
Clinical Signs:
Upset stomach. Could cause vomiting.
Weight loss.
Diarrhea – watery, could have mucus or blood.
Stress can bring it out.
Coccidia are not visible to the naked eye.
Where does it come from?
Ingesting the coccidia.
Contaminated dirt or grass that pet comes in contact with.
Testing:
Fecal sample ran in the veterinary hospital
Treatment:
Deworming and retesting a fecal sample in 3 – 4 weeks.
Antidiarrheal medication may be given.
Remove poop from the yard.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting contaminated poop
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after handling poop or playing with your pet.
Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected
Giardia
Clinical signs:
Weight loss
May become watery and contain mucus.
Gassy
Vomiting is a possibility.
Giardia are not visible to the naked eye.
Where do they come from?
Drinking contaminated water.
Ingesting contaminated poop.
Testing:
Fecal sample ran at the veterinary hospital
Treatment:
Deworming and retesting another poop sample in 3 – 4 weeks.
Antidiarrheal medication may be given.
Wash your pet's bedding in hot water.
Clean up any poop from the yard.
Wash pet bedding in hot water.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting contaminated poop or contaminated water.
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after handling poop or playing with your pet.
Grassy areas can be contaminated for at least 1 month.
Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected
Hookworm
Clinical signs:
Hookworms attach to the intestinal wall and feed on blood. Causing pale gums.
Watery diarrhea or black and tarry.
Distended abdomen and poor coat quality.
Not hungry.
Hookworms are not visible to the naked eye.
Where do they come from?
From mother to puppy/kitten in the womb or when nursing.
Ingesting the hookworm.
They can penetrate the skin.
Testing:
Fecal sample ran at the veterinary hospital.
Treatment:
Deworming and retesting another poop sample in 3 – 4 weeks.
Clean up all fecal matter out of the yard.
Monthly oral heartworm prevention also deworms at the same time.
Wash pet bedding in hot water.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting contaminated poop.
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after handling poop or playing with your pet.
Hookworms can penetrate your skin, so wear shoes when around an infected pet or yard.
They like sandy beaches and moist soil.
Can cause cutaneous larva migrans or “creeping eruption”.
Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected.
Roundworm
Clinical Signs:
Diarrhea, vomiting, enlarged abdomen in puppies and kittens.
Diarrhea in adult dogs and cats.
Roundworms look like “cooked spaghetti noodles” in poop.
Visually seeing worms in the poop.
Where do they come from?
From mother to puppy/kitten in the womb or when nursing.
By ingesting the roundworm egg.
By sniffing the ground and inhaling eggs.
Testing:
Fecal sample ran in the veterinary hospital.
Treatment:
Deworming and then retesting a fecal sample in 3 to 4 weeks.
Clean up all poop out of the yard. Do not let your pet eat poop.
Monthly oral heartworm prevention also deworms at the same time.
Wash pet bedding in hot water.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting contaminated poop.
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after handling poop or playing with your pet.
Sandboxes can become litterboxes. Use with caution.
Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected.
Tapeworm
Clinical signs:
Tapeworm segments can be seen on poop. Looks like “rice”.
Pets may scoot their rear end on the ground.
Segments may be found around the tail area of the pet.
Dried segments can also be found on bedding material.
Where do they come from?
From fleas. Fleas become infected when they ingest the tapeworm embryo. This is why flea prevention is so important.
Testing:
A fecal sample ran in the veterinary hospital.
Visually seeing the segments on the tail area of the pet.
Treatment:
Deworming and then retesting another poop sample in 3 – 4 weeks.
Treat all pets and the house for fleas.
Vacuum all floors, curtains, and couches. Throw the vacuum bag out. Fleas can crawl out of vacuums.
Wash all pet bedding in hot water.
Clean up all poop out of the yard.
Interceptor the monthly oral heartworm prevention deworms at the same time.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting a flea infected with a tapeworm.
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after cleaning up after or playing with your pet. Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected.
Whipworms
Clinical Signs:
Whipworms attach to the intestinal wall and feed on blood.
Weight loss.
Poor coat quality.
Poop may contain blood.
Whipworms are not visible to the naked eye.
Where do they come from?
By ingesting the whipworm egg.
They can live in the environment for years. Hard to get rid of.
By sniffing the ground and inhaling eggs.
Testing:
Fecal sample ran in the veterinary hospital.
Treatment:
Deworming and retesting another poop sample in 3 – 4 weeks.
Monthly oral Heartworm prevention also deworms at the same time.
Clean up poop out of the yard.
Wash pet bedding in hot water or replace it. Eggs are hardy and impossible to destroy.
Zoonotic Potential:
Yes, humans can catch this by ingesting contaminated poop
Whipworm eggs are hardy and hard to get rid of.
Practice good hygiene! Wash your hands after handling poop or playing with your pet.
Contact a human physician if you or your family become infected.
