Worms can be dangerous to pets and to people. Here are some things you can do to protect your pets and your family.
- Remove feces from the litter box and/or the yard regularly. Dog poop should be cleaned out of the yard at least once every week. Follow instructions on your cat litter for litter box cleaning, but it’s best not to let feces sit for too long. (At the cats only boarding facility, we change the litter box twice every day for each cat, but we’re pretty fanatical about cleaning!)
- Keep a close eye on your child’s sandbox — this is a common place for stray animals or even family pets to go potty. Children are often at higher risk for picking up worms from pets because of situations like this. Some children are also more likely to put things they shouldn’t into their mouths. (Yuck!)
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water after cleaning the yard or litterbox.
- Pick up after your dog when walking or at the park. If your dog does have any type of worms, this will prevent those worms from being passed on to other animals.
- Don’t allow your pets to get too close to other animals’ poop. Raccoons are just one species that can pass worms on to domesticated dogs and cats.
- Don’t mix different wormers.
- Don’t use a wormer if your pet is taking ANY other medication — including a heartworm preventative like Heartguard.
- Follow your veterinarian’s instructions completely when using a wormer.
- Prescription wormers are generally safer and more effective than over the counter wormers.
- Bring a stool sample to your veterinarian every year to get checked for worms.
Remember — some worm infestations don’t show up until the animal is under stress. What causes stress in animals? Lots of things, from a change in routine to moving to pregnancy. Be sure to get your pets checked before a stressful time (if possible) and keep a close eye on them during the stress.