Pets of the Month – Bonnie and Candi, sisters from Ailsa Craig We all love our pets, big or small. Send in their photo to make them known to all. Email your photo and a brief description of your family pet to tami@villagerpublications.com. Below are some handy tips from your local vet. Bonnie is a 17-year-old Calico who is very affectionate and loves to have her chin rubbed when snuggling up to us as we watch TV. She may be old, but she sure can run fast when she hears the treat bag being opened! Candi is a 12-year-old Blue Point Siamese who still thinks she is a kitten and loves to run around the house and play with anything and everything she can find. Her favourite place to sleep is curled up on my pillow at night, right beside my face. They have a large basket of toys but prefer to play with hair scrunchies and crumpled-up pieces of paper. Both are indoor cats, but Candi loves to be outdoors, so we bought her a Parasites – A Closer Look (Part 2) by Dr. Christina Douthwaite DVM In Part 2 of our parasite series, we focus on internal parasites, which include worms (such as roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms, and heartworms) and protozoan species (such as Coccidia and Giardia). Heartworm disease is a blood parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes between June 1 and November 1 in Ontario. Heartworm larva is deposited during a mosquito’s blood meal and matures into an adult worm in the heart. Heartworm can lead to symptoms such as coughing, exercise intolerance and weight loss. In some cases, the pet may be asymptomatic until the damage to the heart has been done. Prevention is key as it can be a very expensive, difficult and risky parasitic infection to treat. Roundworms and hookworms are intestinal parasites that are highly transmissible to people and other pets through contact with contaminated feces. In addition, the larvae of these parasites can persist in soil for years and serve as another route of infection. Whipworm, Coccidia and Giardia are other intestinal parasites that can pose a threat to your pet. An emerging parasite of significant concern is a very small tapeworm called Echinococcus. Infective eggs are shed in the stool of foxes and coyotes. Rodents then ingest these eggs from the environment and develop cysts in their tissue. This
harness and we take her for walks, on a very long leash, so she can chase after butterflies and fallen leaves. Bonnie prefers to
just watch from the window. Fur Parents: Tami & Grant
intestinal parasite can infect pets and people in two different ways: either by ingesting the rodent or by ingesting the infective eggs. Depending on what is ingested, this parasite either develops into an intestinal infection with active shedding of eggs or an incurable liver disease, leading to destruction of the liver tissue from the tapeworm cysts. If your pet is a hunter or unattended outside, parasite prevention for this specific tapeworm parasite is highly recommended to protect both your pet and the humans they share their home with. Simple prevention strategies include regular fecal examinations and picking up your pet’s stool from the yard regularly to prevent larval infestation of the soil. Selecting the right parasite prevention medication for your pet is important to ensure that they are covered for the environmental risks that their lifestyle exposes them to. There is no “one size fits all” prevention for every cat or dog. We encourage you to have a conversation with your veterinarian to determine the best plan for your pet based on their lifestyle. Visit wormsandgermsblog.com or petsandparasites.org for more information about parasites.
IldertonPetHospital.com 125 King Street, Ilderton (519) 666-2288
Your Perfect Match awaits you at The London Animal Care Centre and The Catty Shack!
Bringing people and pets together www.accpets.ca
C atty S hack THE London Animal Care Centre – Licensing, Bylaw Enforcement, Adoption and Lost/Found Services: 121 Pine Valley Blvd., (519) 685-1330 The Catty Shack: 756 Windermere Rd., (519) 432-4572
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Ilderton and Area Villager June 2025 • Page 7
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