Are Parasites Killing Your Pets?

Of course we all want to take care of our beloved pets but is it possible that parasites are endangering their lives? Although dogs and cats are generally considered to be rather disease free, they are both susceptible to parasites such as hook worms. Otherwise known as Dipylidium Caninum, the “hook worm” is a particularly nasty parasite that can and will shorten the life of your pet unless properly treated.

Parasites like the hook worm actually have teeth that they use to attach to the small intestine of your dog or cat (actually, these parasites are also a danger to humans too!). Now these are rather simple parasites with three basic body parts: the head, neck, and tail. Every hook worm has only one head and neck, but they may have several tail segments.

The tail segment is very important to parasites like the hook worm because this is how they breed. Every tail section has the reproductive organs for the hook worm. Sections of tail break off all the time and are passed with other solid waste (in the animal’s feces). Fleas, who lay their eggs in feces, eat the tail segments and are thus infected with hook worm.

The parasites are passed on to the animal when the flea bites it. It is also possible for animals to become infested with these parasites by eating the fleas themselves. Therefore, the best prevention for hook worms is to rid your home and yard of fleas. Then, make sure the animal is free of the parasites by taking it to your veterinarian. If infected, the animal will be orally given a mild poison that will cleanse its system of the hook worms.

Hook worms may not seem like very dangerous parasites but their effect upon animals is cumulative. After prolonged periods of infestation, animals will appear emaciated as they will have been deprived of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients by the parasites clinging to their intestinal walls. In time, the immune system will weaken and the animal will become prone to disease. If left untreated, hook worms are indeed parasites that can and will kill your pets.

It is usually possible to determine if your animal has hook worms by inspecting its stool for the parasites. Plus, if the stool is often too wet or runny, it is likely your pet has hook worms. Pets suspected of having the parasites need to be taken to the vet immediately as the risk of spreading hook worms to humans is very real. After the animal has been rid of the worms, be sure to destroy any flea populations in the area or the risk of re-infection is very high.

Turtles Swallows

Sea turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the world. Their shells consist of an upper part (carapace) and a lower section (plastron). Hard scales (or scutes) cover all but the leatherback, and the number and arrangement of these scutes can be used to determine the species.


turtles

turtles are reptiles of the Order Testudines , most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs. The Order Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species. The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards and snakes. About 300 species are alive today, and some are highly endangered.

Sea turtles come in many different sizes, shapes and colors. The olive ridley is usually less than 100 pounds, while the leatherback typically ranges from 650 to 1,300 pounds! The upper shell, or carapace, of each sea turtle species ranges in length, color, shape and arrangement of scales.

Sea turtles do not have teeth, but their jaws have modified “beaks” suited to their particular diet. They do not have visible ears but have eardrums covered by skin. They hear best at low frequencies, and their sense of smell is excellent. Their vision underwater is good, but they are nearsighted out of water. Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them remarkably adapted to life at sea. However, sea turtles maintain close ties to land.

turtles cannot breathe in water, but they can hold their breath for various periods of time.

Females must come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand; therefore, all sea turtles begin their lives as tiny hatchlings on land. Research on marine turtles has uncovered many facts about these ancient creatures. Most of this research has been focused on nesting females and hatchlings emerging from the nest, largely because they are the easiest to find and study.

Thousands of sea turtles around the world have been tagged to help collect information about their growth rates, reproductive cycles and migration routes.

Like other reptiles, turtles are poikilothermic . Like other amniotes, they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The largest turtles are aquatic.After decades of studying sea turtles, much has been learned. However, many mysteries still remain.

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