Many common parasites go unseen by pet owners or are considered a minor or inconsequential problem. However, the impact that parasites have on an animal's health can be considerable. Parasites stress the animal's entire system and can make it vulnerable to other ailments. Some parasites are vectors of serious infectious diseases or, in many cases, may cause life-threatening diseases themselves. It is not unusual for very young kittens to succumb to anemia from blood loss due to a severe flea infestation.
Fleas can also transmit such diseases as feline infectious anemia and plague.
In those areas of the country where heartworm disease is endemic, dogs and cats often suffer severe illness and even death from this entirely preventable infection. And, many of us in veterinary medicine see young puppies and kittens that develop life-threatening intestinal damage from roundworms or hookworms. As the number of pets in the United States increases, we see an increasing incidence of parasite infections passed from animals to people. Often the victims of these infections are children who share environments with and interact closely with pets, and who may not be as vigilant as most adults are about hygiene. Recent advances in parasite control allow us to minimize, and in some cases even eliminate, our pet's risk of common parasite infections.