What are Parasites?
Parasites are organisms that live on or within a host, deriving benefits and often causing harm to the host. Many parasites are unable to be seen with the naked eye, and must be viewed under a microscope.
What kinds of dogs are more likely to get parasites in Colorado?
Puppies
Dogs that hunt and ingest small animals and insects
Dogs that play in or drink from streams, ponds or standing water
Dogs that visit dog parks or areas with a lot of animal traffic (Urban areas)
Here are a few things you should know about dog parasites in Colorado, so that you can help keep your dog healthy!
Preventing parasites
First, young puppies should have limited exposure to high traffic areas where lots of other strange dogs gather. Places where other dogs congregate tends to be areas where droppings or other waste are allowed to accumulate, increasing the risk of parasite transmission.
Second, dogs of any age should not be allowed to ingest, or eat, the waste from other dogs or themselves if at all possible. It is common for many dogs to want to "taste test" urine or feces but that is a common way parasites are spread.
Practice good hygiene! Always wash your hands after picking up after your dog. Also, bring fresh water along on hikes. You’ll keep your dog hydrated and help lower your dog’s urge to drink infected stream or pond water.
Finally, keep up to date on all vet recommended treatments! Heartworm preventative is a commonly prescribed treatment that can help prevent a whole host of parasites. Your vet will typically know what the most common diseases and parasites are in your area and will prescribe a treatment plan custom tailored to your dog.
Below we will list some of the most commonly encountered parasites in dogs in Colorado
Giardia
Giardia is a microscopic protozoan parasite that lives in your dog’s intestines.
How do dogs get giardia?
Your dog can get giardia from:
Drinking a contaminated water source, like puddles, gutters, streams, or ponds
Ingesting an animal that has giardia
Eating feces and animal waste
You may notice your dog has diarrhea, weight loss, or mucus in the stool. Their feces may also have an unusually pungent odor.
Dog giardia doesn’t offer a high risk of contamination for people, but it can be unpleasant for your dog if left untreated.
Roundworms
According the American Kennel Club (AKC) Almost all dogs will have roundworms at some point in their lives as one of the most common parasites seen in dogs.
The canine roundworm has unfortunately evolved a very efficient way to propagate itself. If a dog has ever had roundworms, a number of dormant larvae can remain in body tissues, even if the dog was treated and the adult worms eradicated. These encysted roundworm larvae can remain dormant for the rest of the dog’s life—unless the dog is a female and becomes pregnant, at which time the larvae reactivate and are then passed to her puppies. LINK
Roundworms can also be picked up from the environment, in any place the dog or puppy comes in contact with soil.
Sometimes, adult roundworms can be seen in your dog’s stool or vomit. The adult worms look like spaghetti. Typically, they’re round, white in color, and three or more inches in length.
Other symptoms include a "pot bellied" appearance, vomiting & diarrhea, weight loss or malnourished appearance, and even coughing as the worms migrate to the lungs.
Adult worms shed hundreds of eggs per day which can be seen by a veterinarian under a microscope.
Coccidia
Coccidia are single-cell parasites that live in dogs’ intestines. Coccidiosis is a GI infection caused by cystoisospora spp.
This parasite inflames and irritates your dog’s intestine, causing a watery diarrhea. Your dog can get coccidia by ingesting coccidia eggs on the ground or in soil, or by ingesting it directly in infected feces.
The good news is coccidia can be treated effectively with medication and the dog form of coccidia is not transmissible to humans.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms usually live in your dog’s small intestines. These parasites are long, flat and ribbon-like. They’re sometimes several feet in length, and they’re made up of many smaller segments. These small, rice-like segments can sometimes be seen around your dog’s anal area or in their feces.
Typically, dogs get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. Here in Colorado, your dog is more likely to get tapeworms from eating an infected animal (such as a rodent or a rabbit carcass).
Symptoms of a tapeworm infection in a dog include decreased appetite, diarrhea, stunted growth or poor coat, weight loss, and white grains of "rice" present in fecal matter.
Tapeworms cannot be directly transmitted to humans from your dog or your dog’s feces.
Fleas & Ticks
Both fleas and ticks are external parasites, meaning they live outside their host's body.
Fleas are small insects that survive by feeding on animal or human blood. That may appear as "pepper" in your dog's coat. They have quite a jumping ability if you are able to isolate one up close. In Colorado our hot and dry climate prevents most instances of fleas.
Colorado is home to several species of ticks, however. Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians.
There are about 30 different species of ticks in Colorado, the most common of which are the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick. Tick activity peaks in spring and early summer, but ticks can be active throughout the year. Altitude isn’t a safeguard. Ticks can live at elevations up to about 10,000 feet. LINK
“Ticks can carry multiple different infection-causing agents: bacterial, viral, parasites,” said Dr. Phaedra Fegley, a family medicine physician in Steamboat Springs and a staff member of UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. “Within minutes of biting you, they’ve released their saliva and whatever it’s carrying.”
Ticks live along forest edges, preferring to stay at the tops of plants or the tips of grasses so they can easily latch on to any unaware passerby. They can sense body heat, carbon dioxide, body odor and vibrations. Always check yourself, and your dog for ticks after enjoying the great outdoors.
How do you get rid of parasites on your dog?
t’s a great question.
Quite simply, the treatment varies by parasite.
There are different “deworming” medications for different types of worms.
Some dog parasites (like roundworm) are relatively quick to get rid of. Others (like giardia) can be more stubborn.
If we diagnose your dog with intestinal parasites, our veterinarians will walk you through all the steps to take for that parasite — including ways to keep your human family members safe