Tracking the ‘Big Five’ usually means a safari for lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino in the wilds of Africa. Your vet can help you track-down the big five pet-parasites with Veterinary Diagnostics, Microscopy and Statspin Ovatube Parasite Detection System.
On the pet parasite safari, the big five are the Intestinal Worms, Lung Worms, Heart Worms, Ticks and Fleas that love to live on and in the animals that share your home.
Heavy infestations get tangled together and block your pet’s digestive system
Intestinal worms come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Hook Worms, Round Worms, Whip Worms and Tape Worms all effectively starve your pet from the inside out. Heavy infestations get tangled together and block your pet’s digestive system.
Lungworms start life in snails, which leave a trail of infected slime that your pets can lick off their paws. Once in your pet’s lungs, they cause congestion, difficulty breathing, coughing and exhaustion. About 10% of lungworm infections prove fatal.
Heartworms get into your pet from mosquito bites. In your pet’s heart, they block the flow of blood. Your pet’s heart has to work much harder to pump blood around the body, which can lead to heart failure.
Ticks carry the microbes that cause serious diseases including Lymes disease
Ticks and Fleas live in the fur and skin feeding on your pet’s blood. Fleas cause skin irritations and transmit the most common tapeworms that infect cats and dogs. Ticks carry the microbes that cause serious diseases including Lymes disease and the new threat, Babesiosis.
Many of the big five parasites also live in the wild animal population. Some are much more common in the wild and pet populations of other countries. Avoiding infection demands constant monitoring and protection of your pet, especially if you’re taking your dog or cat abroad for the summer. Another concern is that some of these diseases can be passed to humans.
The holiday season increases the risk of travel-related infections
Warmer weather encourages fleas and ticks, and the holiday season increases the risk of travel-related infections. Taking action to hunt down potentially deadly infestations is best begun sooner rather than later.
Your vet has all the information, products and treatments to protect your pet from the big five parasites. Veterinary diagnostic kits quickly detect parasite infections such as Lymes disease, Babesiosis. Veterinary Microscopy identifies internal worms while specialist techniques such as Statspin Ovatube Parasite Detection System will uncover the extent of any infestation discovered.
