When I was growing up in Cary, NC, practically everyone knew each other. Whether from church, school, or sporting/civic events, paths crossed. Within our town, there were six kids in separate Thomas families. We were the Beta Club Version not to be confused with the Beauty Club version.
My mother had a lot on her mind, and it was not unusual for my mom to get a call from Mr. Joe Veasey at the Fidelity Bank downtown asking if Mrs. Thomas was missing anyone? She would do a head count, note that she was down to 5 children, and reply "I will come back shortly to retrieve a youngster." Dr. E.B. Davis, the family dentist, would write a real prescription for a free ice cream cone at Ashworth’s Drug Store after good dental check-ups. Times certainly have changed.
One thing that has not changed in the south, however, is deworming children and pets. I can distinctly remember my mother lining us up for deworming for pinworms, which is very contagious in school children, yet not transmissible to pets. Unfortunately, many of the common parasites found in pets are transmissible to kids, most commonly roundworms and hookworms.
WHAT IS THE RISK TO PETS WITH HOOKWORMS?
Hookworms are common around the world. In puppies that contract the infection through nursing, other dogs, or the soil, signs include pale gums, weight loss, black poop, and even death. Kittens obtain the infection from the environment, not from nursing. Hookworms remain in the soil in the South for a very long time. A more extensive article can be found in the following link: http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/tags/hookworms/
HOW ARE HOOKWORM INFECTIONS DETECTED IN PETS AND PEOPLE?
In pets, a centrifuged/floated intestinal sample is examined under a microscope for parasitic eggs.
In people there are classical skin lesions called cutaneous larva migrans. The basic hygiene rules in the South are to not to go barefoot in the yard (wear flip flops), pick up the dog poop to cut infection from the soil, wash hands after being outside/gardening, and to not to play in open sand boxes. In Miami Beach, Florida during 2011, sunbathers on the beach were notified of a public health risk of skin lesions due to hookworms from a concurrent feral cat colony on the board walk using the beach sand as a giant litter box. In people there are classical skin lesions that may be found in the following article from the CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/gen_info/faqs.html
WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL CONCERNS ABOUT ROUNDWORMS?
Roundworms are passed from mother dogs to puppies while in the womb so puppies can be exhibiting signs as early as 2 weeks of age. Additionally, roundworms do pose a significant risk to human from eggs contaminated in the soil or feces and then ingested (lack of proper hand washing). Once infected with the migration called visceral larva migrans, the worms can cause blindness and a variety of other signs in people. It is estimated that 10,000 children in the United States are infected annually with roundworms and that approximately 750 will suffer permanent visual impairment or even blindness. Up to 20% of public playgrounds in the USA are estimated to have the soil contaminated with roundworm eggs.
http://www.petsandparasites.org/dog-owners/roundworms/
WHAT DOES THE CDC AND VETERINARY PARASITOLOGISTS RECOMMEND FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING HOOKWORM /ROUNDWORM INFECTIONS?Regular fecal examinations and strategically deworming puppies starting at two to three weeks of age (kittens starting at six weeks) until approximately 12 to 15 weeks of age, then every three to four months until 1 yr. Then once or twice a year depending on the frequency and type of outdoor exposure as well as the type of heart worm preventative used. Prompt disposal of poop (in the yard or from litter boxes) prevents eggs from hatching which can lead to contamination of the soil. Products used to treat worms include the following: pyrantel, fenbendazole (Pancur), and Drontal on a rotational basis prescribed by your veterinarian.Betsy Sigmon DVM, Diplomate American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Canine & Feline PracticeCreature Comforts Animal HospitalCary, NC
No comments:
Post a Comment