Fleas, Ticks & Intestinal Parasites

Parasite signs range from subtle to dramatic depending on the organism and the burden of infection.

Fleas:

• Intense scratching, chewing, or licking — especially at the base of the tail and inner thighs
• Hair loss, scabs, or red, thickened skin (flea allergy dermatitis is the most common skin condition in cats and dogs)
• Flea dirt — black pepper-like specks in the coat that turn red when wet
• Restlessness and visible jumping insects on the coat

Ticks:

• An attached tick found during grooming — often in the ears, between toes, under collar, in the groin, or around the face
• Tick-borne disease signs (days to weeks after a bite): lethargy, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, or swollen lymph nodes
• Tick paralysis: sudden hind-limb weakness progressing forward (rare but dramatic; resolves with tick removal)

Intestinal parasites:

• Diarrhea, soft stools, or blood in the stool
• Visible worms in stool or around the anus (tapeworm segments look like rice grains)
• Pot-bellied appearance in young, heavily infected animals
• Poor coat condition, weight loss despite normal eating
• Scooting on the ground (often associated with tapeworm segments causing anal irritation)
• Pale gums (anemia from hookworm blood-feeding)
• Coughing in puppies or kittens with a heavy roundworm burden that migrates through the lungs

Every dog and cat in Southern California faces parasite exposure year-round — the mild climate provides no "safe" winter season. Risk factors that raise the stakes include:

• Outdoor access: any pet that goes outdoors, even briefly, is exposed to fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasite eggs
• Contact with other animals: dog parks, boarding, grooming, and multi-pet households all increase transmission risk
• Wildlife proximity: coyotes, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels share outdoor spaces in Calabasas and carry fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites
• Age: puppies and kittens are at highest risk for intestinal parasites — roundworms and hookworms are often transmitted from mother to offspring before birth or through nursing
• Hunting or scavenging behavior: eating prey or feces transmits tapeworms, Toxoplasma, and other parasites
• Flea ingestion: fleas serve as intermediate hosts for tapeworms — a pet that grooms itself and swallows fleas may develop tapeworms even if rarely outdoors

Routine annual or semi-annual fecal testing is the foundation of internal parasite detection. External parasites are usually confirmed on physical examination.

• Fecal flotation: a standard fecal test that concentrates and identifies eggs from roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms
• Fecal antigen testing (ELISA or PCR): more sensitive than flotation for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, which are shed intermittently and easily missed on standard floats
• Tick-borne disease panel: a single in-house blood test screens for Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and heartworm simultaneously — we recommend this annually for dogs
• Skin scraping and coat combings: for mites (Demodex, Sarcoptes), skin scrapings confirm the diagnosis when parasitic skin disease is suspected
• Coat examination: flea dirt identification, finding live fleas, or tick discovery during a physical exam

Treatment depends on the parasite. Prevention, however, is the cornerstone of the approach — treating an active infestation is harder, more expensive, and less comfortable for your pet than preventing it from occurring.

• Flea control: modern oral or topical flea preventives (isoxazolines such as Simparica, NexGard, Bravecto; or topicals such as Revolution) kill fleas quickly and break the life cycle. Environmental treatment of the home may be needed for established infestations — only 5% of fleas are on the pet at any given time; the rest are in the environment
• Tick prevention: the same isoxazoline class products provide reliable tick-kill coverage; collar-based options (Seresto) are effective for dogs. Remove any attached tick found on examination with gentle, direct-pull technique — no twisting
• Dewormers: pyrantel pamoate for roundworms and hookworms; praziquantel for tapeworms; fenbendazole for a broader spectrum including whipworms and Giardia. The correct product depends on what was found on fecal testing
• Giardia treatment: metronidazole and/or fenbendazole, combined with bathing to remove cysts from the coat and thorough environmental decontamination
• Year-round prevention: a monthly or quarterly prevention plan tailored to your pet's risk is the most cost-effective strategy. Our team recommends appropriate products at each wellness visit

Any pet that is scratching intensely, has visible parasites or worm segments, has unexplained diarrhea or weight loss, or simply hasn't been tested for intestinal parasites in the past year should be seen. Annual fecal testing and a tick-borne disease panel are standard wellness recommendations for every dog. Don't wait for signs — most parasites do damage long before they become obvious. Dog & Cat Hospital Calabasas can screen, test, and set your pet up with an appropriate prevention program during a single visit. Book an appointment today.