We've already covered some internal parasites that could be contracted by humans, so let's cover other parasites- external ones!
These are parasites you could get from wild animals in your yard as well as your own pets.
· Fleas
These come from pretty much any animal and can jump from animal to animal and animal to people. They are also very difficult to get rid of because their lifecycle is about 3 months long and they can be in carpet, between baseboards and flooring, furniture and any other crack or crevice you might have in your house. These cause tapeworms in pets after they are ingested and can carry the bacteria that caused plague in humans.
· Ticks
Ticks are just about everywhere but they particularly love tall grasses, wooded areas, and water. They could also drop off of animals passing through your yard, so living in the city doesn’t mean you don’t have ticks.
The brown dog tick can also infest your home or kennels and should be treated by a professional when found living in cracks and crevices.
Ticks transmit diseases like Ehrlichia, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans and Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Lyme disease in pets.
· Mange mites
Demodex is a common mite of young or immunocompromised dogs and are not contagious to people, however there is a species of mange mite that is zoonotic- scabies. This mite is very contagious. It burrows into the skin and causes rash-like symptoms.
How do you keep your family safe from these parasites?
Flea and tick preventions should be used on all of your pets all year round, even if they don't go outside- you do! You could bring fleas or ticks into your house, even from being in your own back yard. Flea and tick preventions kill the parasites so if they get on the pet or bite them, they will die, hopefully before having the chance to bite you or your family.
Oral preventatives like Bravecto have also been shown to treat mange mites.
If you find a tick infestation in your yard or house call a professional exterminator to treat them.
What should you do if you find a tick on you, your family members, or your pet?
After picking the tick off stick it in a plastic bag labeled with the date it was removed and put it in the freezer. That way if you have any type of reaction or illness following the tick bite it will help your doctor determine a course of treatment since different ticks carry different diseases. Clinical signs of disease usually pop up in several weeks following the bite, so saving it for 3 months should be sufficient before disposing of it.
What should you do if you find fleas on your indoor pet?
If you find fleas on any of your pets you should consult with your veterinarian on what the best prevention for you to use. You must also treat every pet in the home. If you only treat one and not all you are leaving the other animals in the house exposed.
The flea life cycle takes about 3 months to go through, which means your pets need consistent prevention through that time period as well as environmental management. This environmental management consists of vacuuming carpets, furniture, wood floors, and base boards as well as washing anything your pet comes into contact with, making sure to dry on high heat. There are also some products out there that you can use to spray carpets and furniture in addition to vacuuming. Another option is simply calling in a professional to treat your house and maybe even your yard.
Some flea treatments for your pet can also be used as an environmental treatment like Vectra 3D® which collects on hair follicles that are then regularly shed by your pet and then kill the different life stages of the fleas they come into contact with.