How are intestinal parasites diagnosed?
Diagnosis is usually made from a fresh stool sample (passed less than 12 hours) or, in the case of tapeworms, seeing the segments in the stool. Parasites do not always shed their eggs into the feces and therefore several fecal exams may be needed before an accurate diagnosis is made. Outdoor cats should have fecal tests and prophylactic deworming 2-3 times per year. Dogs and indoor cats should have yearly fecal exams done and then be dewormed as necessary. How did my pet become infected with intestinal parasites? Most puppies and kittens are infected before birth or while nursing from their mothers. Adult dogs and cats can become infected by ingesting infected feces or soil (in the case of roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms) or by eating infected mice or fleas (in the case of tapeworms). How are intestinal parasites treated? There are various deworming medications available to treat intestinal parasites. At this time, there is no one dewormer that can eliminate all species of parasit
