Copyright® Kahlil Hanns Lucero, DVM. All rights reserved 2007
Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is meant to be used as a general guide for the services at Pasig Petcare Veterinary Clinic. Pasig
Petcare Veterinary Clinic reserves the right to change services, staff and information represented on this web site without notice. In case of an emergency
involving your pet, consult a veterinary professional for recommendations specific to your pet’s condition immediately.
Petcare Veterinary Clinic reserves the right to change services, staff and information represented on this web site without notice. In case of an emergency
involving your pet, consult a veterinary professional for recommendations specific to your pet’s condition immediately.
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Deworming
One of the health issues that the majority of puppies and kittens have to deal with is worms. Most puppies are
born with worms and they need to be taken to the vet for treatment (to be dewormed). The vet will take a
stool sample and check it for worm eggs.
As cute and as fragile as they are, puppies as young as 2 weeks old should be brought to the vet for
deworming. Then deworming should continue every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old. Once they become
adults, male dogs should be dewormed once a year and females after each estrous cycle.
Deworming is something that must be done routinely and taken seriously. There are six major intestinal
parasites of dogs and cats and most of them causes diarrhea in very young pets.
HOOKWORMS (Ancylostoma spp): These worms are most commonly seen in young dogs and cats. Adult
worms live in the small intestine. The eggs pass out of the body in the stool. Animals become infected with
hookworms by eating infective eggs or larvae; penetration of footpads or skin by larvae; transmission
through the milk while nursing; or, transmission from the mother into the fetus while still pregnant.
Hookworm infection can cause a severe and sometimes fatal anemia in the young, weak, or malnourished animals.
Any other pets exposed to hookworms should also be treated. Several heartworm preventives contain added
medication to help prevent re-infection with hookworms.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: The hookworm larvae can penetrate human skin and potentially cause a
skin problem called ‘cutaneous larval migrans’ or ‘creeping eruption.’ No one should be barefoot for 5-7 days
while the pet is being treated for hookworms.
ROUNDWORMS (Toxocara spp): These worms are also comonly seen in young dogs and cats. The adults live
in the small intestine and the eggs are passed in the stool. Animals are infected by ingestion of other infected
animals (rats); or, by before-birth infection. Infection with roundworms can cause poor hair coat, diarrhea,
ill-thrift, pot-bellied appearance, and sometimes secondary bacterial pneumonia. Worms can sometimes be
vomited up or seen in the feces. The worms will be seen in the stool and they look like spaghetti. Most
heartworm preventives contain medication to help prevent re-infection with the worms.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: Roundworm larvae can penetrate human skin. The migrating larvae can
affect various organs in the body—causing mechanical damage and also granulomas to form. This disease is
called ‘Visceral larval migrans.’ No one should be barefoot for 5-7 days following treatment.
WHIPWORMS (Trichuris sp): This worm is diagnosed in dogs 3 months of age or older. The adults live in the
large intestine and eggs are passed in the feces. Diagnosis can sometimes be difficult because whipworms are
not prolific egg-layers. Infection is via fecal-oral transmission. Eggs do not appear in the feces until 3
months post-infection. These worms are usually not seen in the stool.
TAPEWORMS (Dipylidium and Taenia spp): The adult live in the intestine of dogs and cats. Diagnosis is by
visualization of the small, ‘rice-like’ worms in the stool (most common method); or seeing the eggs on a fecal
flotation exam. The eggs and worm segments are inconsistently shed in the feces. A negative fecal flotation
exam does not completely rule out the possibility of tapeworm infection
GIARDIASIS: This is a common protozoan of all animals. It lives in the small intestine. Infection is via the
fecal-oral route. The incubation period is 1-2 weeks. Several examinations are sometimes needed to identify
the organism.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: People can become infected with this protozoa by fecal-oral
transmission, which includes drinking untreated water (rivers and streams).
COCCIDIOSIS (Isospora and Eimeria spp): Different species of coccidia infect all animals. Transmission is
fecal-oral and usually due to unsanitary conditions. It is commonly seen in the young and immune suppressed
animals. Sanitary measures should be taken and raw meat should not be fed.
TOXOPLASMA: This is a coccidial parasite which infects cats. If women are exposed to Toxoplasma for the
first time while pregnant, their baby can have serious congenital problems. If a woman has already been
exposed, there is no danger. Toxoplasma is shed in the fecal material of cats. It is not contagious until it has
sporulated, about 3 days after being shed in the feces. HOWEVER, more people get Toxoplasma by eating
improperly washed vegetables and improperly cooked meats.
Do pregnant women need to get rid of their cats? NO. Chances are that they have already been exposed. A
blood titre can determine this.
Can pregnant women clean the litter boxes? Yes. As long as the boxes are cleaned DAILY, there is no time
for the coccidia to sporulate in the feces. Of course, if there is someone else who can do the cleaning, why
not?
Clearly, prevention is best done by bringing your pets to the vet for deworming.
back
One of the health issues that the majority of puppies and kittens have to deal with is worms. Most puppies are
born with worms and they need to be taken to the vet for treatment (to be dewormed). The vet will take a
stool sample and check it for worm eggs.
As cute and as fragile as they are, puppies as young as 2 weeks old should be brought to the vet for
deworming. Then deworming should continue every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old. Once they become
adults, male dogs should be dewormed once a year and females after each estrous cycle.
Deworming is something that must be done routinely and taken seriously. There are six major intestinal
parasites of dogs and cats and most of them causes diarrhea in very young pets.
HOOKWORMS (Ancylostoma spp): These worms are most commonly seen in young dogs and cats. Adult
worms live in the small intestine. The eggs pass out of the body in the stool. Animals become infected with
hookworms by eating infective eggs or larvae; penetration of footpads or skin by larvae; transmission
through the milk while nursing; or, transmission from the mother into the fetus while still pregnant.
Hookworm infection can cause a severe and sometimes fatal anemia in the young, weak, or malnourished animals.
Any other pets exposed to hookworms should also be treated. Several heartworm preventives contain added
medication to help prevent re-infection with hookworms.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: The hookworm larvae can penetrate human skin and potentially cause a
skin problem called ‘cutaneous larval migrans’ or ‘creeping eruption.’ No one should be barefoot for 5-7 days
while the pet is being treated for hookworms.
ROUNDWORMS (Toxocara spp): These worms are also comonly seen in young dogs and cats. The adults live
in the small intestine and the eggs are passed in the stool. Animals are infected by ingestion of other infected
animals (rats); or, by before-birth infection. Infection with roundworms can cause poor hair coat, diarrhea,
ill-thrift, pot-bellied appearance, and sometimes secondary bacterial pneumonia. Worms can sometimes be
vomited up or seen in the feces. The worms will be seen in the stool and they look like spaghetti. Most
heartworm preventives contain medication to help prevent re-infection with the worms.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: Roundworm larvae can penetrate human skin. The migrating larvae can
affect various organs in the body—causing mechanical damage and also granulomas to form. This disease is
called ‘Visceral larval migrans.’ No one should be barefoot for 5-7 days following treatment.
WHIPWORMS (Trichuris sp): This worm is diagnosed in dogs 3 months of age or older. The adults live in the
large intestine and eggs are passed in the feces. Diagnosis can sometimes be difficult because whipworms are
not prolific egg-layers. Infection is via fecal-oral transmission. Eggs do not appear in the feces until 3
months post-infection. These worms are usually not seen in the stool.
TAPEWORMS (Dipylidium and Taenia spp): The adult live in the intestine of dogs and cats. Diagnosis is by
visualization of the small, ‘rice-like’ worms in the stool (most common method); or seeing the eggs on a fecal
flotation exam. The eggs and worm segments are inconsistently shed in the feces. A negative fecal flotation
exam does not completely rule out the possibility of tapeworm infection
GIARDIASIS: This is a common protozoan of all animals. It lives in the small intestine. Infection is via the
fecal-oral route. The incubation period is 1-2 weeks. Several examinations are sometimes needed to identify
the organism.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE: People can become infected with this protozoa by fecal-oral
transmission, which includes drinking untreated water (rivers and streams).
COCCIDIOSIS (Isospora and Eimeria spp): Different species of coccidia infect all animals. Transmission is
fecal-oral and usually due to unsanitary conditions. It is commonly seen in the young and immune suppressed
animals. Sanitary measures should be taken and raw meat should not be fed.
TOXOPLASMA: This is a coccidial parasite which infects cats. If women are exposed to Toxoplasma for the
first time while pregnant, their baby can have serious congenital problems. If a woman has already been
exposed, there is no danger. Toxoplasma is shed in the fecal material of cats. It is not contagious until it has
sporulated, about 3 days after being shed in the feces. HOWEVER, more people get Toxoplasma by eating
improperly washed vegetables and improperly cooked meats.
Do pregnant women need to get rid of their cats? NO. Chances are that they have already been exposed. A
blood titre can determine this.
Can pregnant women clean the litter boxes? Yes. As long as the boxes are cleaned DAILY, there is no time
for the coccidia to sporulate in the feces. Of course, if there is someone else who can do the cleaning, why
not?
Clearly, prevention is best done by bringing your pets to the vet for deworming.
back
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