Search Results for: blog intestinal parasites worms

Ask a Pets Blogger: Mucus in Stool

First off, I’m sorry that this is such a gross question! I’ve noticed lately that there seems to be a lot of mucus in my dog’s stool. He doesn’t seem sick otherwise. Should I be worried? No need to apologize — owning pets often means you deal with a lot of gross things. (So says the woman with the dog who eats cat poop and barfs green grass in the living room.) Your problem is one that I’m actually familiar with. Moose (he who eats “kitty roca”) has experienced this in the past. Mucus in the stool can be a … Continue reading →

The Four Most Common Worms in Pets

If your dog or cat has worms, chances are, it’s one of these four: Tapeworms: an intestinal parasite that is transmitted by ingesting fleas or wildlife that is infested with fleas. Apparently fleas think tapeworm eggs are a real treat. (I don’t see the allure, personally.) The biggest clue that your pet has tapeworms is seeing worm segments in the feces or in the fur near the tail. The little segments look like grains of rice or sesame seeds. An entire tapeworm can have as many as ninety segments and reach six inches in length; the segments that you see … Continue reading →

Intestinal Parasites: Giardia

While I was reading up on worms, I came across some other types of intestinal parasite. Giardia are single-celled organisms that can cause illness in pets and people. Symptoms of Giardia infection include: Weight loss — large populations of Giardia can interfere with food absorption Listlessness Diarrhea or stool that is soft, light colored, and greasy Mild anemia If your pet has had contact with dirty or potentially contaminated water or with animals with similar symptoms, you may want to have your veterinarian check for Giardia. These protozoans mature in stages. The inactive form — known as cysts — is … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for January 14-20

Aimee and I once again strove to bring you a slew of interesting, thought provoking, and otherwise entertaining articles last week. In case you missed any days, here’s the recap of what we wrote on: Monday, January 14 Would You Make a Good Parent for a Deaf Pet? It’s hard enough being a stray in a shelter, but imagine being a deaf one. The chances for adoption go even lower. My plea was to consider adopting such a pet to give them a fair chance too. Tuesday, January 15 Shelters are Bad Enough, Deplorable in Tennessee For some reason the … Continue reading →

Intestinal Parasites: Worms

I’ve got the creeps just thinking about it — all the different types of worms that can infest a dog or cat’s intestines. Yuck! But keeping your pet safe from worms is a real part of pet ownership. When you bring your pet in for an annual exam, you usually have to bring a stool sample. Two types of worms — roundworms and tapeworms — can be seen in feces with the naked eye. Other worms are too small to be seen without a microscope. So don’t forget to bring that sample along! If your pet has worms, the eggs … Continue reading →

Pet Insurance

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about pet insurance. Maybe because of all the money we’ve had to fork out for Murphy’s paw surgery. Except, I’m not sure if pet insurance would have covered it. I’m not that well versed in the various pet insurance policies out there. But I keep seeing them advertised, so I thought I’d check into it a bit more. Besides, it makes a great article for the Pets Blog! Types of Pet Insurance Policies Who has them and where can you get them? Below is a list of some of the pet insurance providers I … Continue reading →

Multi-Pet Households: Separate Vet Trips or All Together?

What to do when both pets are due for their vaccinations? The Vaccination Report Murph’s rabies wasn’t technically due until the beginning of September, but his DHP and Parvo were expired. Since we’re kenneling him when we go to Alaska, I had to get those last two in particular updated. He also needed a heartworm test since I can’t remember the last time I gave him a heartworm preventative chewie. Mr. Meow has been overdue for his rabies, but I also wanted to get him checked out because (a) he’s getting up there in years, (b) he’s been limping here … Continue reading →