Some intestinal parasites (worms) are contagious to humans. Transmission is usually due to ingestion of the worm eggs. This usually occurs accidentally if feces or contaminated soil gets onto your hands and then is ingested.
This is especially a problem with children playing in contaminated dirt or sandboxes as they may eat the soil or put dirty fingers in their mouths. To prevent exposure, we recommend that sand boxes be kept covered when not being used and that children’s’ hands be thoroughly washed after playing in sand or soil. Likewise, adults should wash their hands after working in the soil or cleaning up after their dog or cat.
Monthly heartworm preventive helps prevent pets from getting parasites. Outdoor cats should be dewormed on a regular basis. We recommend that you bring a fecal sample (stool sample) annually for laboratory parasite examination. If parasites are present we can prescribe the appropriate medications to help eliminate them.