Intestinal parasites. There are many intestinal parasites that dogs and cats can pick up from their environment. Pets infected with worms shed thousands of tiny microscopic eggs into the environment through their feces. From there the eggs are dispersed into soil, sand, vegetative growth, grass plants, or even in water. Pets become infected when they inadvertently eat these eggs. Think of dogs that eat grass, dirt, or lick the ground.
Hookworms are unique and that they can also penetrate a dog's skin if they happen to be walking or lying down in a contaminated area. Once they break the skin, they will migrate to the intestines. Dogs and cats are not the only animals and justing parasite eggs, rodents, rabbits, birds, and even bugs like fleas. Eat parasite eggs to however unlike in dogs and cats, it These creatures, the eggs do not grow up into adult worms, but rather stay in a hibernating state. When a pet then eats one of these critters, the hibernating worm will wake up and grow into an adult inside the animal. From there, the worm will live in the intestines, drinking blood or stealing nutrients and shedding eggs into the feces.
Puppies and kittens are often infected with worms before they are born, or through their mother's milk while nursing dogs and cats can be at risk for infection any time of the year. Many of the eggs that are released into the environment are very durable, and can survive environmental extremes, including harsh winters for several years. It is important to always be aware year round, warmer weather can especially increase the risk of a pet picking up intestinal worms. Because people tend to spend more time with their pets outside and wildlife becomes more active. While there are a variety of signs that a pet may show is infected, it is not uncommon for them to show no signs at all, appearing perfectly normal. However, the most common clinical signs are typically diarrhea, blood in the stool and vomiting, weight loss, a bloated belly, coughing and dehydration are also possibilities.
Severe cases if left untreated can even result in death. owners may also see visible noodle like worms in their pet stool or vomit, or they may see tapeworm egg packets, which look like sesame seeds or dry pieces of rice stuck to the hair around their pets anus, on their bedding or in their stool. As a veterinary assistant Your job is to collect a fecal sample from your patient. If your clinic does in house testing for parasites You would then perform a fecal flotation where a solution is added to the feces and centrifuge until the fecal matter is on the bottom of the tube and any eggs contained within rise to the top. This is examined under a microscope, and any eggs found or identified by a veterinarian or a qualified technician. The appropriate dewormer can also be prescribed by the doctor.
Common intestinal parasites found in cat and dog feces include roundworms, hookworms with worms, very rare in cats, tapeworms cock Cydia and giardia.