Roundworms (Ascarid)- Almost all puppies and kittens get roundworms at some point in their life. Whether from their mother before birth or during nursing or picking it up from feces or soil. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, stunted growth, rough coat and a bloated belly. Roundworms look like spaghetti or bean sprouts when vomited or when they come out in the fecal matter.

Hookworms (Ancylostoma canium is the most common)- These can be swallowed or can penetrate the skin trhough your pet's feet. They latch onto the intestinal wall lining and create bleeding internal wounds. Symptoms include blood loss, anemia and diarrhea.

Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis)- They can survive for years in the soil and are ingested by the new host. They burrow in to the intestinal lining causing bloody diarrhea, anemia, dehydration and loss of appetite.

Tapeworms (Diplylidium canium is the most common)- Tapeworms can be ingested through fleas, stool or under cooked meat. They latch onto the intestinal lining of the host. As the parasite ages it lets off segments that are full of eggs. These are often what pet owners see. They look like flat rice or sesame seeds and can move on their own. There are usually no symptoms unless the animal is already sick.

Giardia is a single celled animal (protozoa). It can cause soft stools, diarrhea, malabsorption of food, vomiting and anemia. Giardia is most often found in water that has been infected-ponds, pools, puddles. They survive very well in the environment due to their ability to form a cyst for protection.

Coccidia (Isospora)- Coccidia are single celled animals (protozoa). They destroy the intestinal cells causing watery, bloody diarrhea. They can be contracted through feces, ingesting mice and infested dirt. No medications actually kill the coccidia but they can stop its reproduction so an animal's immune system can destroy the organism. Adult animals can also shed the parasite into the environment without showing symptoms of infestation. Humans can get coccidia but it is not the variety found in dogs and cats.

Potentially all of these parasites can lead to death, especially in young or debilitated animals, if not treated.

• For information on flea control please call us or go to our Fleas article.
• For more information on Intestinal Parasites Control and Prevention visit our Scoop on the Poop article.
• For more information about Parasites check out www.capcvet.org, www.pets and parasites.org and www.growing up with pets.com.