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Keep Pets Parasite Free

Pet owners get a lot out of the human-animal connection, sometimes more than they bargained for. When a pet becomes infested with fleas, ticks or worms, owners can become infested too.

Besides causing dogs to itch, scratch and irritate their skin, ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other diseases. Fleas can transmit tapeworms.

Here’s good news from the veterinarians at Kansas State University. When modern pest control products are used properly, pet and owner can be pest-free with relative ease.

"The recent development of insecticides and insect growth regulators with convenient dosage forms (spot-on, collar, pill, oral suspension and injectables) and prolonged residual activity, have helped to eliminate recurrent infestations," says Dr. Michael W. Dryden, Professor of Parasitology. "Most insecticides do an excellent job of eliminating existing fleas from the host during the initial application," according to Dryden. He has conducted extensive research on fleas and flea control.

Dryden says the problem in the past was reinfestation. Flea control was achieved through repeated application of on-animal products and application of insecticides and insect growth regulators into the premises. These programs were designed to eliminate existing populations on the animal and reduce populations of developing and emerging adult fleas in the surrounding environment. "The difficulty with this approach was getting pet owners to consistently follow treatment protocols," Dryden said. "Because pet owner compliance was problematic, pets repeatedly acquired new fleas from the premises and infestations became a recurring if not a continuous problem."

At K-State's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, community practice veterinarians recommend Frontline Plus, Advantage or Revolution in combination with daily examinations for fleas. These products are available for both dogs and cats. Look carefully at your pet's skin and hair coat for tiny black pepper-like specks. These are flea droppings, often referred to as "flea dirt."

"Regarding ticks, Frontline Plus or Advantage along with regular checks for ticks are an effective control where dogs and cats aren't exposed to a lot of ticks," said Dr. William Fortney, Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences. "For dogs exposed to heavy tick populations we recommend a product such as Kiltix, Preventic collar, Defend-Ex-Spot or BioSpot, added to the Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution, along with daily examinations and tick removal.

"Unfortunately the perfect flea and tick control product has not yet been invented," Fortney says. "But there are a number of excellent flea and/or tick control options available that allow us to customize the product selection to the specific needs of the owner and their pet."

A good way to reduce flea populations in the home is simply by vacuuming. One pass with a vacuum can remove 50 percent of the flea eggs. Sprinkle some flea powder on the carpet before vacuuming and sweep that up. The flea powder will kill any fleas that hatch from eggs you have vacuumed.

If you spot a tick on yourself or your pet, remove the tick by grasping the mouth parts with tweezers and pulling the tick straight away from the body. Check yourself for ticks if you have been in the same habitat as your pet.

Humans can get worms if they are exposed to worm eggs, said Dr. Kathy Gaughan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences. To prevent heartworms, hookworms and roundworms, K-State veterinarians suggest Heartguard Plus or Interceptor for dogs, and Revolution for cats. Dr. Gaughan says "With roundworms, people can be infected by accidental ingestion of the eggs. Wash your hands before eating and wear gloves when working in the garden. Covering sandboxes to avoid contamination is also recommended. Immature hookworm larvae can penetrate the skin or enter through existing wounds on the skin. Wear shoes when working or playing outdoors as well as practicing good hygiene."

"Pet owners should check with their veterinarian to determine what parasite their pet has, because internal parasites are not all treated with the same medication," said Dr. Natalie Isaza, Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences. "Over the counter dewormers may not be effective for the particular parasite the pet has, so evaluation by a veterinarian of a fecal sample is the best course of action."

For more information, visit the Pet Health News link of Kansas State University:
www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/pethealth.html