Parasites are unfortunately something that all pet owners may come across at one point or another. There are a wide variety of parasites that can cause illness and serious harm to your pet. Ticks carry diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia. Fleas can carry tapeworm and blood borne parasites such as Mycoplasma. Intestinal worms can lead to severe diarrhea and vomiting, ill thrift and stunted growth. Mites can lead to a very itchy puppy. Unfortunately, some of these parasites can be difficult to detect. For instance, heartworm is a parasite found in the vessels surrounding the heart and in the lungs. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos and a simple bite is all it takes. Once infected there may be no clinical signs until late in the disease, which can sometimes be too late. For that reason, it is recommended to test for heartworm annually and use prevention.
At each physical examination we actively and extensively look for external parasites and recommend you to perform an annual fecal test on all your pets. We believe in monitoring and preventing parasites; but if for some reason your pet does pick up a parasite, rest assured we are here to help treat and prevent future infection.