Roundworms, hookworms and tapes... oh my!

Most of us don't like to think about our dogs and cats having parasites living inside their bodies but knowing some basic facts is important because intestinal parasites - ones that live inside an animal's gastrointestinal (GI) tract- can cause some serious health problems.

The most common small animal intestinal parasites in North America are roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. While these worms live inside our pet's GI tract, they consume nutrients that were destined for our dog or cat. Because of where these worms live, their larvae, or eggs, are shed into the animal's feces, which is one...