ABRI VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Inc.
1449 Trademart Boulevard
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27127
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27127
Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 1:00 pm, 2:00 - 6:00 pm.
Saturday, 8:00 am - 12:00 noon
Deworming your pet
Puppies and kittens should have a fecal check done at 4 - 6 weeks of age. If they are positive for intestinal parasites, they should be dewormed 3 times at 2 week intervals. Even if the stool tests negative, your puppy or kitten should be dewormed twice at 2 - 3 week intervals. They may have intestinal parasites that are not shedding eggs in the feces. The most common intestinal parasites of kittens and puppies are roundworms and hookworms. Roundworms can be transmitted to children and have serious health effects. Hookworms can be transmitted also but usually cause only a dermatitis in people. It is important for puppies and kittens to be dewormed not only for their health but for the health of your family as well. A less common but very serious intestinal parasite is whipworms. Other intestinal parasites are coccidia (a protozoal parasite), strongyloides and giardia. It is always best to have two negative stool samples at least 3 weeks apart on puppies and kittens. In adult dogs, especially ones that go outside, it is best to have a fecal check every 6 months. Simply bring the first stool sample that a pet has in the morning into the office and we will float it and check for ova. If we suspect strongyloides or giardia, we will do a direct smear or filter. It is always prudent to have small children wash their hands after playing with puppies and kittens especially before eating. It is also best not to let puppies lick them in the mouth or face. Dog tapeworms can be transmitted to people but one would have to eat a dead flea. In households with pets with fleas and children that are still crawling or at the stage where everything goes into the mouth, children have picked up tapeworms by ingesting dead fleas.