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Dog Parasites

Parasites are a common problem with dogs. We recommend the following:

Checking a stool sample microscopically (fecal exam) for intestinal parasite eggs at the time of your dog’s annual examination. If your dog has recently received deworming medication, we may recommend rechecking a stool sample again. This is a very important part of your dog’s annual exam as some intestinal parasites can be transmitted to humans.

Heartworm disease is transmitted to your pet by mosquitoes. This disease can be difficult to treat and can be fatal. We highly recommend giving heartworm preventative medication (Heartgard Plus) once a month during the mosquito season (May-October). Before giving the medication we highly recommend a heartworm test be performed to determine if your pet is already infected. This medication is also a monthly deworming medication so a fecal exam should be done prior to beginning Heartgard Plus.

Ticks transmit Lyme disease and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Because we have so many ticks in our area, we have seen a high number of pets infected with one or both of these diseases. We highly recommend a 4DX test be performed once a year as part of a routine physical exam. The 4DX test will test for Heartworm disease, Lyme disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Erlichia. If your dog tests positive for any of these diseases we will go over any needed treatment and monitoring tests. To help prevent tick transmitted diseases, we recommend using Frontline once a month throughout the tick season. Dogs should also be vaccinated for Lyme disease.

Fleas can be seen all year long, especially in late summer and fall. Using Frontline once a month can help keep fleas from overwhelming your pet and home. Frontline is easily applied on your dog’s skin and is waterproof. Ask your veterinarian about using Frontline on your dog.