PARASITE PREVENTION

Parasites can pose serious health risks not just to pets, but to people too. It is vital to treat your pets regularly for parasites. If a parasite is bugging your pet, we have the gold standard treatment to get rid of them; both internal, external, and in your home. Speak to us to help decide what parasite prevention plan is best for your pet.

Worms

Hookworms are common here in Qatar. Adult hookworms can live in the intestines of dogs and cats and suck their blood. Eggs are spread through the pet's feces. They can cause serious blood loss to your pet, which can be life threatening; especially in smaller breeds or puppies. Hookworms can infect humans either by the fecal/oral route (eg. a child touches the feces then touches their mouth) or by going through our skin (ex. walking barefoot on a beach where dogs have been going to the bathroom). This can make us ill or get an itchy rash. Hookworms are almost never seen by an owner. Roundworms are also common in our pets. They too pass eggs in the feces but do not get through our skin. Roundworms can make our pets feel weak, have a poor coat, and lead to vomiting or diarrhoea. Although they live in the intestines of dogs and cats, when they get in a human they often get confused and wander to other places. They can end up in other areas such as our lungs, heart, and even our eyes, causing blindness. Our other most common parasitic worm is the Tapeworm. This one infects our pets when they eat things like fleas, rodents, and organ meat. They can make our pets lose weight and feel generally unwell. This worm is often identified by the owner when they see tiny rice-like segments near the pets rectum or on the stool. It is rare for this worm to pass from a dog or cat to their owner.

Ticks

A tick is a small insect from the same class as spiders but more closely related to mites. They have a pear shaped body that increases in size with feeding. Ticks are ectoparasites, meaning that they live on the outside of the animal. They eat the blood of various species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.  Although a pet with a huge number of ticks can become sick from blood loss, the biggest risk due to tick bites here in Qatar is a disease that ticks carry called "ehrlichia". This is sometimes referred to as "tick fever" and dogs are at the highest risk. Ehrlichia is a type of bacteria that can spread from ticks to animals when the tick bites. Ehrlichia can cause a variety of vague symptoms including fatigue, weight loss, lameness, decreased appetite, bruising, and bleeding.  Each dog may have different signs. Without treatment, this disease can be fatal. The best way to prevent ehrlichia is to practice good tick prevention. At Qatar Vet Center we offer a few different choices for the prevention of ticks, including collars, topical liquids that are applied onto the skin, and an oral treat. Please talk to your Qatar Veterinary Center veterinarian today about your pet's lifestyle and risks when it comes to ticks to consider which tick prevention is best for your pet.