INTESTINAL WORMS INTESTINAL WORMS FOUND IN PETS CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS AND KIDS ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE. YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER EACH AND EVERY YEAR THOUSANDS OF CASES ARE DIAGNOSED, MANY OF THEM IN CHILDREN. LEFT UNCHECKED, THESE INFECTIONS CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS ILLNESS, EVEN LOSS OF SIGHT. ANY PET ,NO MATTER HOW WELL HE IS TAKEN CARE OF,CAN GET INTESTINAL WORMS. KEEPING YOUR PET CLEAN,WELL FED AND GROOMED CAN HELP, BUT REMEMBER THEY WILL SNIFF AND POKE AROUND, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WHERE OTHER ANIMALS HAVE BEEN. WORMS EGGS CAN BE ANYWHERE AND REMAIN INFECTIOUS FOR MONTHS POSSIBLY YEARS. YOUR PET CAN INGEST WORM EGGS BY PLAYING IN THE GRASS OR EVEN WHILE GROOMING. LARVAE CAN PENETRATE THROUGH YOUR PETS SKIN WHILE HE'S RESTING, EVEN SLEEPING. UNFORTUNATELY THE DANGER TO YOUR PET IS ALWAYS AROUND,THUS SO IS THE DANGER TO YOUR FAMILY. KIDS ARE PARTICULARLY AT RISK BECAUSE THEY LOVE CUDDLING WITH PETS TOO. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS EVEN MORE CONTACT WITH HOUSE PETS THUS INCREASING THE DANGER OF THESE PARASITES BEING TRANSMITTED. REMEMBER INTESTINAL WORM EGGS ARE NOT JUST OUTSIDE THEY CAN BE HIDING IN BEDS, CHAIRS, CARPET INFACT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE. FINDING EGGS OR LARVAE CAN BE DIFFICULT. EVEN WHEN YOUR PET IS INFECTED, THE WORMS MAY NOT BE SHEDDING ANY OR ENOUGH EGGS TO BE DETECTED. THUS IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEWARM YOUR PET ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WELL AS TAKING HIM/HER TO THE VETERINARIAN FOR REGULAR CHECKUPS. DEWARMERS ARE A SAFE, CONVENIENT AND AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF GETTING RID OF AND PREVENTING INTESTINAL WORMS. REGULAR DEWARMING OF YOUR PET GREATLY REDUCES THE RISK OF INFECTIONS TO THEM AND TO YOUR FAMILY. TOOTH AND GUM DISEASE WITHOUT HEALTHY TEETH AND GUMS YOUR PET WILL NEVER BE TOTALLY HEALTHY. JUST AS IN HUMANS, TOOTH AND GUM DISEASE ARE COMMON CONDITIONS DIAGNOSED IN PETS. YOUR PET CANNOT BRUSH HIS TEETH TWICE A DAY LIKE YOU DO. THEREFORE, FOOD TRAPPED BETWEEN TEETH AND GUMS CAUSE ORAL BACTERIA. AS THESE BACTERIA GROW THEY FORM A FILM CALLED PLAQUE. PLAQUE IS A COLORLESS FILM OF BACTERIA THAT FORMS CONTINUOUSLY ON TEETH. NORMALLY INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, PLAQUE ACCUMULATION IS THE FIRST STEP IN A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT CAUSES INFLAMMATION,PAIN BAD BREATH AND EVENTUALLY TOOTH LOSS. PLAQUE LEADS TO ORAL INFECTIONS. AS TIME PASSES, HARD MINERAL DEPOSITS WILL FORM ON YOUR PETS TEETH. THESE ACCUMULATIONS ARE CALLED CALCULUS, AND ARE PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE ON THE SURFACES OF YOUR PETS MOLARS. CALCULUS IS A PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR ORAL BACTERIA. BACTERIA CONTINUES TO GROW AND CREATES MORE AND MORE PLAQUE. THE NEXT STEP, AS THE INFECTION PROGRESSES, IS GUM DISEASE. GUM DISEASE HAS DIFFERENT STAGES FIRST GINGIVITIS AND THEN PERIODONTAL DISEASE. A SIGN OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE IS A FAINT OR A VERY DARK LINE AT THE EDGE OF YOUR PETS GUMS, WHERE THEY MEET THE TEETH. ANOTHER SIGN OF GINGIVITIS AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE IS BLEEDING OF THE GUMS. IT IS KNOW THAT GINGIVITIS CAUSING BACTERIA WILL NOT ONLY DESTROY GUM TISSUE AND CREATE BAD BREATH, BUT MORE SERIOUSLY THE UNTREATED BACTERIA CAN ENTER THE TOOTH SOCKETS AND BLOODSTREAM TO CAUSE SEVERE CONDITIONS. SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE, TOOTH LOSS,BONE INFECTIONS,LIVER DISEASE, KIDNEY DISEASE,RESPIRATORY DISEASE,DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE. THERE ARE 3 SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS TEETH. STEP I TAKE YOU PET TO YOUR VETERINARIAN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR FOR A FULL PHYSICAL,INCLUDING AN ORAL EXAMINATION. YOUR VETERINARIAN IS THE BEST SOURCE FOR ADVICE ON DENTAL CARE FOR YOUR PET. HE/SHE WILL CHECK YOUR PETS TEETH AND GUMS AND MAY RECOMMEND CLEANING, POLISHING OR A FLUORIDE TREATMENT. STEP 2 CONTINUE YOUR PETS DENTAL CARE AT HOME. AVOID FEEDING YOUR PET EXCESSIVELY SOFT FOOD AS IT TENDS TO STICK BETWEEN TEETH, IDEAL FOR BACTERIA TO GROW. BRUSH YOUR PETS TEETH DAILY, BUT MAKE SURE YOU USE DENTAL PRODUCTS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR PETS. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO SLOWLY ACCUSTOM YOU PET TO GETTING HIS TEETH BRUSHED CONSIDER ALTERNATE METHODS SUCH AS ORAL RINSES,GELS OR CHEWS. STEP 3 RETURN FOR REGULAR DENTAL CHECKUPS. YOUR VETERINARIAN WILL WANT TO MONITOR YOU PETS PROGRESS. SOME PETS FORM PLAQUE FASTER THAN OTHERS, THUS MORE FREQUENT EXAMS AND CLEANINGS MAY BE ADVISED. ADVISE FOR WINTER MONTHS KEEP IN DOOR PETS IN A DRY AND WARM AREA. IF POSSIBLE, ELEVATE YOUR PETS BED OFF THE FLOOR. PROVIDE OUTDOOR PETS WITH A DRY,INSULATED PET HOUSE OR SHELTER. STAY IN TUNE WITH WEATHER REPORTS. BRING YOUR PET INDOORS IF WEATHER CONDITIONS BECOME SEVERE. CONSIDER WIND CHILL FACTORS. TALK TO YOUR VETERINARIAN FOR ADVICE ON FEEDING YOUR PET, SINCE WINTER MONTHS REQUIRE EXTRA CALORIES TO STAY WARM. SMALL ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY CATS AND KITTENS MANY TIMES NAP ON CAR ENGINES TO STAY WARM. KNOCK ON THE HOOD AND HONK YOUR HORN BEFORE STARTING YOUR CAR. KEEP ANTIFREEZE AWAY FROM PETS. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR PET, OR ANYONE ELSE'S,TO DRINK ANTIFREEZE. KEEP ALL AREAS CLEAN AS PETS DO LIKE THE SMELL AND TASTE OF ANTIFREEZE. ALWAYS HAVE FRESH CLEAN WATER AS WELL AS FOOD AVAILABLE FOR YOUR PET. DO NOT FEED YOUR PETS WITH HOLIDAY TREATS SUCH AS CHOCOLATES,BONES FROM BEEF,POULTRY,FISH OR PORK. THESE CAN BE HARMFUL AND TOXIC. KEEP CERTAIN HOLIDAY PLANTS AWAY FROM YOUR PETS AS THEY ARE POISONOUS FOR THEM. THESE INCLUDE MISTLETOE, PHILODENDRON,CHRISTMAS ROSE,HOLLY AND DIEFFENBACHIA. REMOVE ICE, SALT AND CAKED MUD FROM YOUR PETS PAWS AND COAT AT ONCE. IN COLD WEATHER IF YOUR PET IS WINING AND CRYING THERE IS A REASON. DO NOT IGNORE OR REPRIMAND CRIES FOR HELP. CHECK YOUR PET FOR FROSTBITE, NOSE AND PAWS ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE. CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR PET HAS FROSTBITE.

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