Parasite Test and Prevention

A fecal examination for intestinal parasites is an important part of a regular checkup.
Some dogs and cats infected with these common intestinal parasites may be asymptomatic, but others may develop a variety of gastrointestinal signs that depend on the parasite and age of the patient. Symptoms may range from mild diarrhea, vomiting to severe bloody diarrhea, anemia, and occasionally death.
For more information about parasite prevention and control.
Please call Cornwall Animal Hospital at 905-842-8800 for assistance in creating your individualized parasite treatment and preventative pet care plan.

Tick and flea are small insects that are parasitic; they feed on blood from animals and/or people. They can be picked up anywhere, including dog parks, on trails, or anywhere an infected dog has been. The soft, warm fur of dogs and cats provides the perfect environment for fleas and ticks. These insects feed on your beloved pet’s blood and can cause health problems ranging from allergic reactions to serious vector-borne diseases.
For prevention of tick and flea consists of a variety of products used to avoid tick and or flea infestations on your pet and to prevent infestations inside your home. Our veterinary professional team will come up with a tick and flea prevention plan that works for your pet and your lifestyle.
The main concern from tick and flea are- One, they can cause discomfort and skin irritation through their bites, and in some cases can cause severe allergic reactions in both pets and people. Two, they both can carry diseases and can cause illness both in pets and people. Some of these diseases can be deadly and others can cause severe, chronic, and lifelong illnesses. Prevention is key to avoid these problems.
The major vector-borne diseases that fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes can carry include:
• Lyme disease: Lyme disease is transmitted to dogs through the bite of a tick. Once in the bloodstream, the Lyme disease organism is carried to many parts of the body and is likely to localize in joints or kidneys.
• Ehrlichia: Ehrlichia is a bacterium carried by ticks. Once in the host’s body, it will infect and live within white blood cells causing a wide range of symptoms such as anemia, bleeding episodes, lameness, eye problems, neurological problems, and swollen limbs.
• Anaplasma: Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease-causing lameness, joint pain, fever, lethargy, and anorexia (lack of appetite).

Testing for heart-worm should be done once a year. Testing should be done before any preventative medication (i.e.; Revolution /Trio/Heart guard plus etc) is given. If an undiagnosed, infected dog is treated with preventative medication there could be serious complications leading to illness or death of your pet. If a dog is left undiagnosed and untreated the worms will continue to multiply and will eventually cause death. In such cases, surgical removal of the worms may become necessary to prevent circulatory shock or embolism. Mosquitoes are the carriers of the heartworm parasite, and a single bite can infect your pet. The testing is simple and can be done entirely in-house using only a couple of drops of blood from your dog. . Our veterinary care team is experienced in heartworm disease treatment and will create a heartworm treatment plan that works for you and your pet.