Protect Your Pet and Family from Summer Health Threats

As the weather gets warmer and we spend more time outside, our pets are more likely to be exposed to sometimes serious infections and parasites. Each year, many pets are diagnosed with diseases carried by insects and parasites such as heartworm, hookworm and Lyme disease. Cost of treatment can be expensive and many of these diseases can be transmitted to people the very same way our pets get them.

Fortunately, there are simple steps pet owners can take to ensure a safe and happy summer for both their pet and their family. Dr. Gary Dattner, a veterinarian at Garden City Park Animal Hospital in New Hyde Park, gives us these tips on how to protect our pets and ourselves: 

1.    Be vigilant about checking both yourself and your pet for ticks every day.

Tick–borne diseases, including Lyme disease, are serious public health problems, infecting tens of thousands in the United States each year. As summer weather arrives, and we play with our pets outside, we expose our pets and ourselves to ticks. Pets can also transfer ticks to people—a tick that has crawled on to a pet outdoors can be easily fall off and crawl onto pet owners indoors. Be sure to keep an eye out for any small insect on both your pet and yourself.

2.    Know your surroundings.

Infected animals pass hookworm eggs in their stools, which hatch into larvae. Those larvae may be found in dirt where animals have been. People become infected when the zoonotic hookworm larvae penetrate unprotected skin, especially when walking barefoot or sitting in contaminated soil or sand. Know the cleanliness of the sandbox your child is playing in and make sure you are wearing shoes in public areas where animal stool may be located.

 It is also important to know your geography. Lyme disease is most prevalent in Northeastern and North Central states. Heartworm is most common along the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and in the Mississippi River Valley. The majority of Zoonotic hookworm-associated syndromes are diagnosed in the southeastern U.S. and Gulf Coast states. Visit Pet Health Network for more information on geography and parasites.

3.    Use preventatives for both parasitic and tick-borne diseases.

For tick-borne disease prevention, topicals have proven most effective in preventing your dog or cat from being bitten, however, there are collars and pills available that can be used as alternatives. Consult with your veterinarian before making a decision on which preventative measures to use for your pet. Heartworm is a serious, potentially fatal disease that damages dogs’ heart and lungs. The disease is spread when infected mosquitos bite pets. Monthly chewable tablets or topical medications can help prevent heartworm and other parasitic diseases including Hookworm.

4.    Screen annually for Heartworm, Lyme disease, and other parasitic diseases.

No preventative measure taken for any tick or parasitic disease is 100% effective. Make sure you schedule a yearly appointment to screen your pet for these conditions. Most veterinary offices, including Garden City Park Animal Hospital, will help remind you that you are due to bring your pet in for a screening. There is now a test available that has the added benefit of detecting multiple types of tick infections and heartworm disease at once with only 3 drops of blood. Results are available in less than 10 minutes, so you can receive answers during your pets’ veterinary visit. 

In addition, to test for intestinal parasites, bring a stool sample with you to your pet’s annual veterinary visit. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), 34 percent of dogs in the U.S. are infected with some kind of intestinal parasite, which can include hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and giardia. Some, including hookworms, are zoonotic meaning they can jump between pets and humans. Routine fecal exams are the best way to ensure that your pet and household are parasite-free.