Parasites: Protect Yourself and Your Family

Parasites:

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Our pets can at times have parasites which may infect humans. Human exposure occurs when children eat soil or put contaminated hands in their mouths. Likewise adults may be infected if they eat using unwashed hands which have been exposed to parasites.

Here are some tips to help prevent infection of you and your family.

• Bring your pet’s stool sample to your veterinarian for laboratory examination at once or twice annually.

• If parasites are found, administer medications recommended by your veterinarian to eradicate those parasites.

• Control fleas on your pet. Ingestion of fleas during grooming can be a source of parasite infection in both dogs and cats.

• Administer year round heartworm protection to your pets. Both Heartgard Plus and Revolution protect against both heartworm and many of the intestinal parasites.

• Keep children’s sand boxes covered to eliminate contamination if used by neighborhood cats.

• Change the litter box daily.

• Wear gloves while changing the litter box.

• Wear gloves while gardening.

• Wash your hands after changing the litter box or gardening.

• Remove feces from the yard daily.

• Remove your pet’s feces from public areas as deposited.

• Don’t eat undercooked or raw meat or fish.

• Wash your hands after handling raw meat.

• Wash your hands and your children’s hands before eating.