Veterinarians estimate that up to 45 percent of felines in the United States are infected with some type of parasite. Feline parasites may be worms such as roundworms, hookworms, or tapeworms or one-celled protozoan parasites such as coccidia, or toxoplasma. Over time, these parasites can leech the life out of a cat, until she becomes too weakened to sustain herself. In addition, there are some feline parasite infections that can transfer from a cat to a human.

If you have a dog, then you need to know about parasites. Dogs are the frequent victims of a number of internal parasites or worms such as roundworms, hookworms, and coccidia. In most cases, early diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infections can prevent the development of any significant symptoms. Dog parasite infections may cause any or all of the following symptoms: diarrhea, weight loss, dull, dry hair; blood stools, and vomiting. Here is a closer look at the parasites that can affect your dog, and what you can do to keep him healthy.

There are a number of parasitic infections that can affect your cat. Here is what you need to know about cat parasite infections and what you can do to prevent and treat them.

Animal parasites can affect their host organism in a number of ways. Fist and foremost, parasites are likely to cause some type of physical trauma to the animal due to their migration within the body. Tissue destruction, tissue displacement, ulceration of the liver, and intestinal wall damage are all possible results of animal parasitic infection. Once in the body, animal parasites generally leach nutrients such as vitamins and essential minerals. This nutrient loss can result in severe vitamin deficiencies, anemia, and weight loss.