Helping Your Pet Avoid Parasites

If your pet seems to be scratching a lot, suffering from a loss of energy, and experiencing digestion problems that won’t go away, it could be a parasite problem. Especially for cats and dogs that go outdoors, parasites are a common issue. Fortunately, prevention makes it very easy to keep your pet safe and avoid parasite symptoms altogether. If you have concerns about parasites affecting your furry friend, contact our team at South Granville Animal Hospital in Creedmoor. 

Nature Can Be Annoying

Parasites have been around since ancient times. The most common ones people are familiar with are fleas and ticks. However, other parasites that can get inside an animal are more problematic, especially when they begin to attack the internal organs. Heartworm is probably one of the most acute examples, with the eggs hatching after digestion, and the larvae invading the bloodstream of the host, attacking critical organs like the heart and lungs over time.

External Parasites

Parasites that attack and are active on the outside of the animal at the skin level can be addressed with both systemic and topical protection. In most cases, the first step is to give the pet a bath with specialized soap or medicine that kills off the adult versions of the parasite. Then, a topical medicine applied to the skin or a systemic medicine digested and released from the inside helps kill off young versions of the parasite as well as fend off any new incursions.

Internal Parasites

Parasites that get inside the animal are far more difficult to treat. In most cases, the treatment involves medicine that kills off the parasite as a systemic solution. It’s not always 100 percent successful. For example, heartworm can be controlled but not completely eradicated once the worm gets into the pet.

Get Help for Pet Parasite Control and Flea Prevention

South Granville Animal Hospital is a great resource for pet safety and veterinarian parasite prevention. We can provide dog and cat owners with effective tools for flea control, ingested parasite risks, and tick and flea prevention. Your pet's safety depends a tremendous amount on you as an owner taking care of your pet. Animals don't avoid parasites on their own. Call us today at (919) 528-3591 to schedule an appointment to get started.

Our veterinarian can perform a full exam to confirm your pet's status and any existing parasite problems, if any. From there, we can prescribe effective flea control, tick prevention, heartworm vaccinations, as well as other pet safety protections. If your pet goes outside in Creedmoor, you need to apply regular flea control.