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Pets Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [parasites]

Questions involving pests, vermin and other organisms that feed and live on/in pets and whose presence causes harmful effects. Please include relevant species tag of your pet, such as "cats", and any useful details about the parasitic infection being in the concern - description of symptoms (weight loss, prolonged fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) and the medical record of events relevant to the parasitic infection.

Parasites can include fleas, ticks, worms, mites, protozoa and any other creature that depends upon your pet for sustenance, to the detriment of the health and/or comfort of the pet.

77 questions
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Why is my dog eating dirt?

I'm finding dirt in my dachshund's poop. He eats his regular kibble and sometimes doesn't finish it all, and he does get snacks and a vitamin pill. I'm finding areas in the yard that have been slightly pawed at and the black dirt (sand, tiny…
JoshDM
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My pet snake seems to have some sort of bugs crawling on its face; do I need to worry?

There are tiny little white things crawling across my pet snakes face, and even on its eyes. What are they, and what should I do about them? Are they harmful?
Beofett
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Does my cat have eye worms?

I managed to pull 5-6 strange elastic white-translucent organisms from Toby's eyes. I never witnessed them move. They're definitely not hairs, and using 19x macro lens I took some pictures of them, improvising a home-made microscope. Afterwards, I…
greg
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How can I get rid of fleas without dangerous chemicals?

My cats, dog, and ferrets all have fleas! What is the best way to get rid of them without exposing my pets to dangerous chemicals? Since I have the different animals, it's important to me that if your suggestions aren't supposed to be used on one…
Beofett
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How to remove a tick on a dog?

Since I have my dog I check him for ticks when we're back from walks in the backcountry. So today I noticed one, then after checking carefully another one. Hopefully there is no other. So the question was: what should I do to remove it ? I had to…
Cedric H.
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How do I get rid of fleas on my rabbit?

I have tried remedies I got from the internet but they do not work and she still has fleas. I do not know what else to do.
Jessica Dishaw
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How do I know if my cat has worms?

Are there any specific signs my cat will show if he has worms? I know that horses can get diarrhea, loose weight or don't gain weight and that you can detect some of the worms in their fecal. But as my cat always goes out to poop, it's difficult to…
katho2404
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What is the cat owners risk of toxomoplasmosis from cats?

Do all cat owners have it? The world prevalence of toxomoplasmosis is 33% so it's extremely common. Even though it's supposedly asymptomatic and harmless I've read journal articles speculating that the infection can cause personality changes and…
Littleblackdog
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How effective is flea and tick spot treatment on dogs with hair?

I have an Australian LabraDoodle (lab, poodle, cocker spaniel, english spaniel, water spaniel) with curly hair (as opposed to fur). It's my understanding that dogs with normal fur produce more oils than dogs with hair, so a spot treatment for…
Jason
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Can dogs get head lice and transfer them to humans (or vice versa)?

If we have head lice, can we transmit them to our dogs, or can they get them and transfer them to us?
Jonathan
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How can I treat mosquito allergy in cats?

I have two cats who have an allergy to mosquitoes. It creates scab-like sores on their noses and ears that bleed easily. The vet gave me this stuff called Ovitrol to put on their heads with a cotton ball to keep the mosquitoes away but it's not…
Elorah
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What is this parasite?

I found this parasite in my tank this week. It was the second time I saw it but the first time I lost him before I could catch it. He wasn't on any fish or plant, he was on a wood piece the first time and the second time (when I catch it) it was on…
Rémi
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How can I remove multiple ticks from a dog quickly?

There's a female stray dog in my area who was recently spayed and as being spayed in a poor Indian government hospital she's got ticks all over her body. Manual removal of the ticks is not possible because she won't sit still for long, and I can't…
Megh Gandhi
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What is my risk of getting Toxoplasmosis from my neighbor's cat?

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease it is most commonly spread in feces by household cats., the related question What is the cat owner's risk of toxoplasmosis from cats? has an answer that indicates no correlation between owning cats and…
James Jenkins
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Can diatomaceous earth be used for flea control on shaved or hairless dogs?

My understanding of how diatomaceous earth (DE) works is that it's rubbed into the dog's coat. As fleas move through the coat, they come in contact with particles of DE, which pierces their carapaces, causing them to dehydrate and die. Given that,…
Cucamonga
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