about canine parasites

What is a Hookworm?

Hookworms (Ancylostoma - Uncinaria):

Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninium) are blood-sucking intestinal parasites and have the ability to cause anemia (and sometimes death) in puppies and adult dogs if left untreated. Hookworms cannot be seen by the naked eye, and the severity of adverse effects will depend on the amount of worms in the intestine, the animal’s overall health and age. In humans, hookworms can cause “Cutaneous Larva Migrans”, commonly called “creeping eruption”. The hookworm larvae will burrow into the skin of a human’s foot or leg causing a linear, red lesion, which is intensely itchy. This parasite has also been known to cause chronic intestinal bleeding, abdominal pain and diarrhea in small children. Deworming medications usually include pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole in puppies. Young puppies must be must be dewormed in interval stages from the age of 2 weeks. There are four species of hookworms that infect dogs and cats in the United

States. They are Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma

tubaeforme and Uncinaria stenocephala. In dogs, A. caninum is the most

common hookworm and causes the worst disease. In cats, A. tubaeforme is

more common but is less likely to cause severe disease than A. caninum.

Dogs in the Northern states and in Canada are more likely to be infected

with U. stenocephala as it prefers cold climates and A. caninum prefers

warm climates.

A. caninum hookworm infestation in dogs can lead to severe anemia,

especially in puppies. These hookworms have big appetites and attach to the

intestine and feed on the dog's blood. The other three types of hookworms

are less likely to cause severe anemia but it is a potential problem with

them. Signs of hookworm infection include weight loss, pale color, black or

tarry looking stools, weakness, anemia and death. In areas in which

hookworms are prevalent there can be skin disease in pets associated with

exposure to the larval worms as well.

Hookworms can be acquired from the mother's milk, from penetration of the

skin by hookworm larvae in the environment and from eating hookworm larvae.

Some vets think that it may also be transmitted during pregnancy from

mothers to puppies but this is controversial subject and may have also been ruled out for cats.

One of the problems with hookworms is that they can accidentally infect

humans. This creates a problem called cutaneous larva migrans, which

loosely translates to worms migrating through the skin. Humans pick up the

hookworm larvae from areas contaminated by dog feces and they penetrate the

human's skin just like they would the dog's. Since they don't belong in the

human they don't develop into adults but just migrate around in the skin,

causing sores and inflammation, until they die. This is a good reason to

keep dogs and cats from defecating in playground areas, beaches and other

places where people's skin is likely to come in contact with the ground.

Fortunately, the monthly heartworm preventatives are also effective at

controlling hookworms and can provide a measure of protection against the

possibility of the cutaneous larva migrans syndrome occurring in the humans

that own dogs and cats on heartworm preventative medications. In areas in

which heartworms are not a problem but hookworms are, it is a good idea to

consider having a pet's stool examined for the presence of worm eggs once a

year and when clinical signs that may indicate infestation occur.

What is a large Roundworm?

Roundworms:ROUNDWORMS (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina):

Roundworms are the most common type of worm to infect the animal kingdom. These worms are usually 2 – 4 inches long, tan or white “spaghetti-like” creatures with tapered ends. If a roundworm burden is heavy, a dog may vomit these worms or pass them (whole) in the stool. Roundworms can cause vomiting and diarrhea and can have an effect on a dog’s overall general health and appearance. Puppies infected with roundworms will have a “potbellied” (bloated) look to them. Roundworms can become so numerous that they can cause an intestinal blockage and stool cannot pass. As mentioned above, roundworms are zoonotic (can be transferred to humans) and can cause an infection known as “Visceral Larva Migrans”, which may result in possible inflammation of muscle tissue and blindness. Anthelmintics (dewormers) that are frequently used to treat roundworms are pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole and piperazine.

How did my dog get roundworms?

Puppies born to mothers that have had roundworms at any time in the past can transmit them to their puppies before birth. This is true even if the mother tests negative for roundworms because roundworm larvae (immature worms) encyst in the mother's muscle tissue and are not detected by our tests for adult worms. Another major source of roundworm infection for puppies is the mother's milk. Roundworm larvae may be present in the mother's mammary glands and milk throughout the period of nursing the puppies. Both puppies and adult dogs may become infected by swallowing roundworm eggs which contain infective larvae. The larvae hatch out in the dog's stomach and small intestine and migrate through the muscle, liver, and lungs. After several weeks, the larvae make their way back to the intestine to mature. When these worms begin to reproduce, new eggs will pass in the dog's stool, and the life cycle of the parasite is completed.

Obviously, roundworm eggs passed in one dog's stool may be infectious to other dogs. Interestingly, a large number of other animal species have been found to harbor roundworms and represent potential sources of infection for dogs. These include cockroaches, earthworms, chickens, and rodents.

What kinds of problems do roundworms cause for my dog?

They are not highly pathogenic (harmful) to adult dogs, but large numbers can cause weight loss and a pot-bellied appearance to puppies and weak adults. Decreased appetite, vomiting or diarrhea will be observed on occasion. Puppies will sometimes die with serious roundworm infections.

How is roundworm infection diagnosed?

Roundworms are diagnosed by a microscopic examination of the dog's stool. They pass a moderate number of eggs, so examination of more than one stool sample may be necessary to find them. Occasionally, the mature worms can be found in the dog's stool or vomit.

How are roundworms treated?

Treatment is quite simple. Several very safe and effective drugs are available to kill roundworms in the intestine. Some of these drugs temporarily anesthetize the worms so that they pass out of the dog with a normal bowel movement. The live or dead worms are found in the stool. Because of their large size, they are easily seen.

At least two or three treatments are needed; they are typically performed at 2-4 week intervals. None of these treatments will kill the immature forms of the worm or the migrating larvae.

The eggs are highly resistant to most commonly used disinfectants and to even harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, removal of the dog's stool is the most effective means of preventing reinfection. A 1% solution of household bleach can be used to remove the sticky outer coating of the eggs, making it easier to rinse them away. This does not, however, kill the eggs. Remember the obvious limitations about where bleach may be safely applied.

Are canine roundworms infectious to people?

Yes. The roundworms of both dogs and cats pose a health risk for humans. As many as 10,000 cases of roundworm infection in humans have been reported in one year. Children, in particular, are at risk for health problems should they become infected. A variety of organs may be affected as the larvae migrate through the body. In suitable environments, the eggs may remain infective to humans (and to dogs) for years.

What can be done to control roundworm infection in dogs and to prevent human infection?

Pregnant queens should be dewormed in late pregnancy to reduce potential contamination of the environment for newborn puppies.

All new puppies should be treated by 2-3 weeks of age. To effectively break the roundworm life cycle, puppies should be dewormed on the schedule recommended by your veterinarian.

Prompt deworming should be given when any parasites are detected; periodic deworming may be appropriate for dogs at high risk for reinfection. Adult dogs remain susceptible to reinfection with roundworms throughout their lives.

Dogs with predatory habits should have a fecal examination several times a year. Rodent control is desirable since rodents may serve as a source of roundworm infection for dogs.

Prompt disposal of all dog feces is important, especially in yards, playgrounds, and public parks.

Strict hygiene is especially important for children. Do not allow children to play in potentially contaminated environments.

Most heartworm prevention products contain a drug that will prevent roundworm infections. However, these products will not kill the adult roundworms so they must be treated if present.

The roundworms most commonly associated with pets are the Toxocara and Toxascaris species of roundworm (there are many, many species of roundworms). These two species of worms are transmitted to humans through the ingestion of roundworm eggs which contain infective larvae. Typically it takes between one and three weeks for these eggs to develop from the time they are "laid" to the time they contain an infective larvae.

Dogs can acquire roundworm infections from their mothers while in the uterus. Therefore, it is important to begin to deworm dogs at 2 weeks of age. To the best of my knowledge cats are not able to transfer roundworm infections to kittens in the uterus and therefore it is usually recommended that deworming begin at about 6 weeks of age in kittens as it takes about that long for the infection to reach the stage where deworming medications are effective. Dogs should be dewormed every 2 weeks until they are about 3 months old .

There is some fear that roundworms may be passed by a puppy licking the owner. While the transmission rate through this avenue of infection is probably very very low it is still a good idea to observe good hygiene and wash hands and faces after playing with the puppy.

Once the initial infection is treated properly it is a good idea to occasionally check a stool sample for the presence of worms or to consider prophylactically administering deworming medications if the situation seems to warrant it.

Occasionally a physician will advise one of my clients to put their cat outside to reduce the risk of infection with Toxocara or toxoplasmosis. I truly believe that this advise is wrong. An indoor cat is unlikely to pick up an infection with roundworms or toxoplasmosis as there is no ready source of the worm eggs indoors. The litterpan is easily cleaned and most people don't dig around in the pan much. On the other hand, an outdoor cat is easily reinfected with roundworms from the soil and is very likely to defecate in places like gardens where people do tend to dig around a lot. If you have cats, or even if you don't, it is a good idea to wear gloves while gardening. Clean vegetables grown in the garden before eating them. For most people, these preventative measures are just normal procedures but it is good to know there is a reason for all this caution!

Roundworm infection in people can cause "flu like" syndromes, with fever, liver enlargement, changes in the white blood cell count and differential and in some cases eye damage. I do not know for certain how the diagnosis of roundworm infection in a human is made. Your physician will probably know, though. It is unlikely that you have been exposed to infective eggs but if you or a family member experience an illness it would be worthwhile to inform your physician of this possibility.

**Mike Richards, DVM**

What is a Tape worm?

Tapeworms (Cestodes):

Tapeworms are generally the largest of all of the parasites. They are very mobile, and can change location within the host daily. They are segmented worms. They have 3,000 to 4,000 segments in their bodies. Each segment can contain up to 50,000 eggs! They are able to release up to 1,000,000 eggs into the host's body EVERY DAY! Some tapeworms can live up to 25 years within a host. They have been known to grow as large as 33 feet in length (10 meters) within the gastrointestinal tract. However, their larvae can be found in almost any organ.

There are several types of tapeworms that can affect dogs and cats. The method of transmission varies some between the species.

The most common tapeworm is Dipylidium caninum. This tapeworm's life cycle starts as an egg passed in the dog or cat's feces. The egg is eaten by a flea or louse and develops into an intermediate stage called a cysticercoid. This is the infective stage. The dog or cat eats the flea which now contains the cysticercoid and becomes infected. The cysticeroid develops into the adult tapeworms and the cycle starts again.

There are two other fairly common tapeworms, Taenia pisiformis, which infects dogs and Taenia taenaeformis, which infects cats. Taenia species of tapeworms have a life cycle that involves an intermediate host but it tends to be a small rodent (T. taenaeformis) or lagomorph (rabbit, T. pisiformis). As far as I know, it is necessary to eat the intermediate host to get these tapeworms, as well. Taenia taenaeformis seems to have the name Hydatigera taeniaforms now. There are some Taenia species that can be acquired by eating undercooked meat of goats, sheep and cattle but I don't know how commonly these infect dogs.

A much less common tapeworm in domestic dogs is Echinococcus multilocularis. This tapeworm is normally found in wild canine species and is transmitted through an intermediate host, usually a rodent. It is of special concern because if a human ingests the egg of this tapeworm the intermediate host can develop in the human and cause serious disease. This tapeworms isn't a common problem in dogs but it is a serious infection from the standpoint of risk to people.

What this means is that the dog is either eating rabbits or eating fleas to get the tapeworms, in all liklihood. Fleas are more likely in most dogs but some dogs are good at hunting rabbits or at finding dead ones to eat.

Coccidia (Coccidiosis):

What is Coccidia?

Coccidia are single celled organisms that infect the intestine. They are microscopic parasites detectable on routine fecal tests in the same way that worms are but coccidia are not worms and they are not visible to the naked eye. Coccidia infection causes a watery diarrhea which is sometimes bloody and can even be a life-threatening problem to an especially young or small pet.

Where do Coccidia Come From?

Oocysts (pronounced o'o-sists), like those shown above, are passed in stool. In the outside world, the oocysts begin to mature or “sporulate.” After they have adequately matured, they become infective to any host (dog or cat) that accidentally swallows them.

To be more precise, coccidia come from fecal-contaminated ground. They are swallowed when a pet grooms/licks the dirt off itself. In some cases, sporulated oocysts are swallowed by mice and the host is infected when it eats the mouse. Coccidia infection is especially common in young animals housed in groups (in shelters, rescue areas, kennels, etc.) This is a common parasite and is not necessarily a sign of poor husbandry.

What Happens Inside the Host?

The sporulated oocyst breaks open and releases eight sporozoites. These sporozoites each finds an intestinal cell and begins to reproduce inside it. Ultimately, the cell is so full of what are called “merozoites” that it bursts releasing the merozoites which seek out their own intestinal cells and the process begins again. It is important to note how thousands of intestinal cells can become infected and destroyed as a result of accidentally swallowing a single oocyst.

As the intestinal cells are destroyed in larger and larger numbers, intestinal function is disrupted and a bloody, watery diarrhea results. The fluid loss can be dangerously dehydrating to a very young or small pet.

How Are Coccidia Detected?

A routine fecal test is a good idea for any new puppy or kitten whether there are signs of diarrhea or not as youngsters are commonly parasitized. This sort of test is also a good idea for any patient with diarrhea. The above illustration demonstrates coccidia oocysts seen under the microscope in a fecal sample. Coccidia are microscopic and a test such as this is necessary to rule them in. It should be noted that small numbers of coccidia can be hard to detect so just because a fecal sample tests negative, this does not mean that the pet is not infected. Sometimes several fecal tests are performed, especially in a young pet with a refractory diarrhea; parasites may not be evident until later in the course of the condition.

How is Coccidiosis Treated?

We do not have any medicine that will kill coccidia; only the patient’s immune system can do that. But we can give medicines called “coccidiostats” which can inhibit coccidial reproduction. Once the numbers stop expanding, it is easier for the patient’s immune system to “catch up” and wipe the infection out. This also means, though, that the time it takes to clear the infection depends on how many coccidia organisms there are to start with and how strong the patient’s immune system is. A typical treatment course lasts about a week or two but it is important to realize that the medication should be given until the diarrhea resolves plus an extra couple of days. Medication should be given for at least five days total. Sometimes courses as long as a month are needed.

The use of sulfa drugs in pregnancy can cause birth defects. Sulfa drug use can also lead to false positive test results for urine glucose.

Can People or Other Pets Become Infected?

While there are species of coccidia that can infect people (Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium, for example), the Isospora species of dogs and cats are not infective to people. Other pets may become infected from exposure to infected fecal matter but it is important to note that this is usually an infection of the young (i.e. the immature immune system tends to let the coccidia infection reach large numbers where the mature immune system probably will not.) In most cases, the infected new puppy or kitten does not infect the resident adult animal.

Coccidia are a group of protozoan parasites that are extremely common and which infect a

wide number of animal species, including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, goats, sheep and chickens

--- and many other species of animals, as well. The groups of coccidians that infect pets

include Eimeria, Isospora, Hammondia, Toxoplasma and Neospora. Of these, the two that are

usually referred to as "coccidia" infections are Eimeria and Isospora infections and the rest are generally identified by name, as they are more complex parasites and cause specific disease problems. Eimeria species are more commonly involved in infections in cattle, sheep, horses, etc. and Isospora species are most commonly involved in infection in dogs and cats. So for the purpose of the rest of this note, the enteric (gastrointestinal) forms of Isospora are what will be covered.

The first thing that has to be considered is that coccidosis is very common. It is likely that 30 to 50% of puppies have coccidia in their stools at some time during their first few months of life. These may be coccidia from another species that the puppy or kitten has in the digestive tract due to ingestion of stool, such as rabbit feces, squirrel feces or cat feces (in the case of puppies). If this is the case it is unlikely that the puppy or kitten will actually have any clinical disease as a result of ingesting the coccidia. In other cases, a puppy or kitten becomes infected with coccidiosis, produces lots of oocysts of coccidia but never has clinical signs of disease such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting or failure to thrive. These pets may never show any clinical signs and without signs it is questionable whether they should be treated or not, although I think that almost all veterinary practitioners go ahead and treat for the infection. Isospora species can also be transmitted through ingestion of intermediate hosts, such as infected mice.

Isospora species that affect dogs include Isospora canis, I. ohioensis, I. neorivolta and I.

burrowsi. The species that affect cats include Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta. These

coccidia tend to be pretty species specific, so infection of a puppy or kitten is not thought to be a risk to humans and puppies are not a risk to cats or infected kittens a risk to dogs. It is very likely that if one puppy in a litter has coccidiosis that all puppies are affected. It is extremely difficult to prevent coccidia infections, especially in group situations, so puppies coming from a breeder with coccidia is not an indication of poor sanitation or poor health care practices. It is simply a very common problem.

Coccidia spread when oocysts are shed in the stool of infected pets and then the oocysts are

consumed later by another susceptible dog or cat. Since incredible numbers of oocysts are shed from infected pets, the environmental contamination with coccidia oocysts is severe. Puppies and kittens often show signs of illness, usually watery diarrhea, before there are oocysts in their stools, so it sometimes takes several fecal samples to know if a puppy or kitten is infected. In addition, lots of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are infected and are shedding oocysts despite having no clinical signs of infection.

Coccidia are easy to find using standard fecal floatation methods for fecal exams and are often present in sufficient numbers to show up if a small amount of stool is smeared on a glass slide, mixed with a small amount of saline and examined.

When Isospora species cause disease the most common form is watery diarrhea that is very

profuse. Many kittens and puppies seem to just leak watery stools as if they have no control at

all over their bowel movements, while others have a more "normal" diarrhea. Without treatment, the diarrhea might last for several weeks. With treatment the diarrhea might last several weeks, too --- but it does seem to cut down some on the duration of the diarrhea to treat affected puppies and kittens. The most commonly used medications are sulfonamide antiseptics, such as sulfadimethoxine (Albon Rx, Bactrovet Rx) given at 55mg/kg of body weight initially and then 27.5mg/kg per day for 4 to 7 days. The medication should be given until two days after symptoms of illness have disappeared. Lots of vets substitute trimethoprim/sulfa combination medications (Ditrim Rx, Tribrissen Rx, Bactrim RX) for this sulfadimethoxine, using a dosage of 15mg/lb of the combined product and this seems to work, too. While it is probably impossible to kill all the coccidia in a puppy with clinical disease using medications, it may help reduce the numbers of organisms that littermates and housemates are subjected to and to shorten the duration of clinical signs.

In some cases it does seem like there is resistance to the sulfanomides. I am not sure if this is actually the case, since it is difficult to tell if the medication is working in the first place.

However, if this is suspected, alternative medications include ampolium (Corid Rx) and

furozolidin (Furoxone Rx).

General cleanliness does not ensure that infections will not occur, but removal of contaminated

stool reduces the potential for infection. The oocysts are supposed to be pretty resistant to most disinfectants and things like steam cleaning or flame guns may be necessary to actually kill the oocysts, which is impractical for most situations. Keeping access to mice down (especially for cats) is also a good idea.

So the direct answers to your questions are that most of the time all littermates are infected. It is not likely that other species will be affected. The organism is spread in the stool, so keeping non-infected pets away from the stool of infected pets is helpful but if they share a common environment it is highly likely that infection will occur. The infection may or may not cause clinical disease and treatment is generally considered to be necessary only for pets showing clinical signs.

Giardia,Giardiasis:

What is Giardia?

Giardia is a protozoan parasite that lives in the intestine of affected animals. It is unclear whether there are several species of this parasite or whether there is one species that affect several different animals, including people. These small parasites are very easy to miss on a fecal exam and may not be present in the stool of animals infected with the organism. Repeated fecal exams are sometimes necessary to identify this parasite. Not all animals in which infection can be demonstrated have clinical signs. This leads some people to believe that the parasite may not cause disease . Most vets think that there may just be other factors, like the animal's immune response to the parasite that cause some animals to develop disease and not others. Clinical signs of giardia include weight loss, inability to gain weight appropriately during growth, diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite and greasy appearing stools. The most commonly used medication for giardia infection is metronidazole (Flagyl). The organisms come from the environment and live in moist to wet areas. They are susceptible to quatenary ammonium disinfectants, Lysol and dilute chlorine bleach. Keeping the dog's environment dry helps a lot.

This disease may be contagious to people from infected dogs so good sanitary practices, like washing your hands after handling an infected puppy, are very important. If a family member develops similar clinical signs, a physician should be consulted. Flagyl is prescribed to humans should infection be suspected. Dogs can become infected with giardia from puddles, standing water or from licking their feet after stepping in water that has become contaminated with feces. Concrete can become infected from shedding cysts but can be killed with 1% bleach.

How is Giardia diagnosed?

Vets Diagnose the infection by looking for microscopic Giardia cysts in fresh stool samples. It is often necessary for vets to examine several samples before finding the cysts, since they are shed on an irregular basis and can be difficult to view on a slide. This means that the sample may be negative one day and positive the next. Blood test are often necessary to determine the cause of the illness.

Actually finding the cysts is more likely if loose (in contrast to "normal") stools are available to examine.

What if the infection goes untreated?

Diarrhea and other clinical signs may get worse or disappear. Giardia may cause damage without revealing symptoms in the early stages. Occasionally this can go on for a long time before severe illness occurs. Once in a while, pets get over the disease without treatment, but this is rare. Thus, your pet might appear normal while continuing to shed Giardia in its stool. This means that your pet will continue to act as a source of infection for other pets as well as two-legged members of your family.

Obviously, a careful and early diagnosis is essential to the health of your pet as well as to your family members.

Treatment for Giardia

What to do if a Giardia infection is suspected:

-Medicate all infected pets in the household with a drug which kills Giardia.

-Clean your yard or kennel area of all feces daily during the treatment period and regularly after that.

-If a kennel or dog runs are contaminated, wash the Kennel runs down with a bleach solution ....4 ounces of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. This should be done every day during the treatment period. It can be very difficult to guard your pet against Giardia. Frequently, more than one course of therapy is needed.

-When you have finished giving the mediation, bring a fecal sample to your vet for a microscopic examination. It is usually necessary to repeat this examination a week later and then a month later to determine whether further medication will be needed for you pet.

*Breeders and owners alike can vaccinate their breeding dogs as well as puppies with a Giardia vaccine to help reduce the risk of contamination. CLICK HERE TO ORDER GIARDIA VACCINES.

There are several types of mites that can invade the ear canals of dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. The same mite can affect both dogs and cats. In the puppy and kitten, the most common ear mite is Otodectes cynotis. It is not important in the diagnosis and treatment of ear mites to identify the exact scientific type of mite. Regardless of the exact mite species involved, we usually refer to mites of the ear canal simply as ear mites. Contrary to popular belief, however, is the fact that ear mites can live anywhere on the animal's body.

How are the mites transmitted?

Ear mites are extremely contagious. They can be passed from the mother animal to her offspring. Additionally, the mites are easily spread to other pets within the household including cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets, etc. Humans are not affected. However, dogs and puppies alike can be treated with Pyrethrins such as ear mite solutions to kill these pesky pests.

What are the symptoms?

Puppies and kittens with ear mites will scratch around their ears and/or shake their heads. The amount of scratching and shaking depends on the severity of the mite infestation. With more advanced infestation, the ear canals will bleed and either fresh or dried blood will appear inside the canal. Dried blood resembles coffee grounds. If you peer into your pet's ears and notice a build-up of a material that looks like 'coffee grounds,' then your pet probably has ear mites, although a bacterial and/or yeast infection is also a possibility.

Ear mites are very common, but still serious. Left untreated, they severely damage the ear canals and eardrum and can cause permanent hearing loss.

If mites spread out of the ears to other areas of the body, the animal may or may not scratch the area.

What is the management?

Various commercial ear preparations are available to kill the mites. These products contain an insecticide, usually pyrethrins. Ear products without an insecticide will not kill the mites. Ivermectin, fipronil (Frontline), and selamectin (Revolution) have also been used by some veterinarians. (Milbemycin (Interceptor) and Acarexx, a form of ivermectin have recently been approved for the treatment of ear mites in cats.) Depending upon the medication used, the ears may need to be treated two to four weeks until all mites are killed. As previously mentioned, many ear mites live all over the body, including the feet and tail. These areas should also be treated. Most products designed for fleas and ticks such as sprays, dips, and shampoos, which contain one of the above ingredients will be effective. Be sure to use products approved for use on dogs, and to treat the tail. This is because while sleeping, the tail is curled around the puppy's body where it lies in close contact with the ear. Because mites are very easily transferred between pets, it is best if all pets in the household receive simultaneous treatment. Most types of mites do not survive long off the pets, so the treatment of the house and yard is usually not necessary. Caution must be taken when using canine dips on young puppies. We recommend using a human lice shampoo called "Equate" because it is non-toxic to young puppies and they can be shampooed on a regular basis with this medicated lice shampoo while learning how to go "potty" outside. "Equate" will help prevent not only mites...but lice, fleas and ticks. Normal dog dips can be used once your puppy is older than the age of six months. Using dog dips can be toxic to young puppies causing seizures and death. "Equate" Lice shampoo can be purchased over the counter at your local Wal*Mart store for approx. $6-$8 a bottle. Just follow the instructions as you would for human hair.

Can I get ear mites from my pet?

Ear mites are not considered to be a zoonotic disease (disease which can be transmitted from animals to humans).

What dips can be used when my puppy is older than six months?

Puppies that are older than the age of six months can be dipped with inexpensive pyrethrin dips such as "permectin II", "Mitaban" and "paramite" solutions that can be purchased either at your local Tractor Supply, Southern States, at most Horse feed stores or directly from your vet. CLICK HERE to compare prices. Some dips can only be purchased from your vet. The above dips must be diluted correctly and can be toxic if not used properly, so following the instructions exactly is a must! On older or large dogs, the dip solutions can be mixed inside of a spray bottle and sprayed directly onto your dogs' coat. The above solutions are also great to help kill any mites, fleas, ticks or lice that may be in your dogs' sleeping quarters. DO NOT use on food bowls, toys or blankets used by your pet. DO NOT use on cats.