- Hours:
- Mon: 9A - 9P
- Tue-Fri: 9A - 10P
- Sat: 9A - 2P
- Sun: Closed
Our goal at the Animal Hospital of Streamwood is to help your pet stay healthy, help heal your pet when it is sick or injured, and to ease your pet's pain when it is hurting.
We will do this with quality care, compassion and tenderness.
The Scoop On Poop !
Intestinal parasites, often referred to as worms, are a common problem in dogs and cats. The most common intestinal parasites in cats are roundworms, tapeworms, and coccidia. The most common intestinal parasites in dogs are hookworms, whipworms, roundworms and tapeworms. Some worms can be transmitted to people, especially children and immuno-compromised adults. It is vital to have your pet’s stool checked at least once every year!
How do pets get worms?
- Orally by licking/eating the infected feces of other animals (dogs, cats, raccoons, rabbits, birds, rodents, deer, squirrels, etc.) or by sniffing/eating grass near fecal matter even after the feces has been picked up.
- Through the skin by stepping directly on feces or on feces-contaminated grass/soil (especially in common areas of condo/apartment complexes and dog parks); even after the feces has been picked up.
- Mother’s placenta before birth
- Mother’s milk
Many owners make the mistake of assuming that if they don’t see worms, their pets do not have worms. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Most worms are microscopic but don’t let their size fool you, they often occur by the hundreds!
Intestinal parasites can cause weight loss, diarrhea, bloody stools, malnutrition, anemia, weakness, itchiness and/or discomfort. A microscopic examination of a stool sample may be the only way to tell if your pet has worms.
Worms can spread to people. Children who play outdoors without shoes, ingest things contaminated with dirt/feces or get licked the in the face by an infected animal are particularly at risk. Intestinal parasite infections in people can be more severe than those same infections in our pets. Remind everyone in your family to wash their hands before eating and after playing with pets, playing at parks, gardening or cleaning up the yard.
To keep your pet parasite-free, have your pet’s stool checked once or twice a year and keep your environment as clean as possible, free of fecal buildup. Pick up feces immediately, trying to scoop the first layer of soil with the feces is best to reduce the recurrence of infestation of parasites. While worms can be a serious problem, they don’t have to be. Working with our Veterinarians in a thorough strategic deworming prevention program can help assure your pet’s health and aid in maintaining your family’s safety.