Parasite Prevention for Dogs and Cats
in Pasadena
An important part of your pet’s wellness care program is parasite prevention. Cats and dogs make attractive hosts for a variety of pests, including fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and intestinal parasites. Fortunately, while these critters might seem to be everywhere, they can be kept to heel with adequate pet parasite prevention. At Lake Shore Pet Hospital, we carry a number of quality preventives to keep dogs and cats protected.
What You Need to Know About Parasites
Parasite infestations are just one half of the equation. In addition to annoying your pet and seemingly taking over your home, certain parasites can also spread illness and cause allergic reactions.
Mosquitoes can transmit heartworm disease, which can result in damage to your pet’s heart, lungs, and/or surrounding blood vessels. This disease is also progressive, and may not reveal notable symptoms for years.
The Deer tick is the primary vector for Lyme disease. An infected tick carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium will pass it on to its host when they bite; the bacterium is actually what causes the disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease include lameness, swelling of the joints, fever, lack of appetite and lack of activity.
In addition to Lyme disease, some other potentially harmful tick-borne diseases include ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle aches. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause fever, joint and muscle aches, coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Fleas can cause allergic reactions in pets when they bite, but they can also inadvertently infect animals with tapeworm if ingested. Intestinal parasites can cause gastrointestinal upset and predispose a pet to developing food allergies and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Common intestinal parasites seen in dogs and cats include roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and weight loss are signs your pet may have intestinal worms.
Preventives We Offer
Indoor and outdoor cats and dogs should be protected from parasites all year round. We offer the following preventatives to keep them healthy:
- Interceptor Plus – a monthly oral preventive for dogs that protects against heartworm and intestinal parasites
- ProHeart 6 or ProHeart 12 injection – injectable heartworm preventive that lasts for 6 or 12 months
- Simparica or Simparica Trio – a monthly oral flea and tick preventive or flea, tick AND heartworm and intestinal parasite preventive for dogs
- Revolution Plus – a topical flea, tick, heartworm and intestinal parasite preventive for cats
- Advantage II – a topical flea preventive for cats
- ProFender – a topical intestinal parasite preventive treatment for cats
Contact us if you need help choosing the right pet parasite prevention! Just give us a call at
(410) 317-2028.
Preventing Intestinal Parasites in the Community
Lake Shore Pet Hospital is a partner of Friends of Down’s Park, an organization devoted to keeping the park clean and well-maintained. We are helping them sponsor Pet Pickup Stations through the park to prevent the spread of intestinal parasites through infected pets’ waste. When owners have more opportunities to dispose of their pet’s waste, the whole community, pets and people, benefit.
I truly can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. Ashley and his amazing staff.
-Ericka C.