These are common diseases in cats and dogs that everyone has heard of, but you may not know you can get these parasites from your pets. The eggs of the parasites are transmitted with fecal-oral contact, but Fortney says you don't have to directly touch the stool to be infected by the parasite. The worms are usually not in the stool, but the eggs are and the eggs are responsible for passing along the parasites. He says everyone should assume a kitten or puppy has internal parasites until proven otherwise. Like the rabies vaccine, the annual stool sample is just as important for humans' health as for the pets' health.
Worms can cause a wide variety of signs such as intestinal problems, weight loss and unthrifty coat.
Hookworms will also burrow into the skin. Fortney says the most important thing to stress about these internal parasites is prevention. This includes having your pet examined regularly by a veterinarian, covering the children's sandbox so cats can't use it as litterbox and keeping the yard free of stools. Pet owners should also control external parasites such as fleas, scabies, chilatiella and chiggers which cause red, itchy rashes. Fortney says the solution to these parasites is to keep the environment mite-free.