How to Protect Handicapped Pets from Parasite

Becoming a pet owner is both a huge responsibility and an accomplishment. Nowadays, more and more animal lovers are encouraged to adopt pets instead of purchasing them. This gives animals with handicaps a chance to find a loving home. So, if you choose to foster a pet with a disability, you should be prepared to provide extra care for them.

One common problem you should prevent is parasite infections. This could greatly affect your pet’s health, so you must do your best to keep it at bay. Here are some tips you could practice to ensure your handicapped pet won’t experience parasite problems.

Clean Your Property

Handicapped pets may not be as active as normal animals, but they’ll still wander and check out the property, especially when they first arrive in your home. If it’s not the first time you’ll care for an animal, you should ensure your facility is a safe place for pets. They may come in contact with small insects or other harmful organisms if you don’t clean your house before their arrival. If they become infected with internal or external parasites, it’ll be much more difficult for you to maintain their health.

The best way to ensure your handicapped pet will be safe at home is by inspecting your area and removing any harmful stuff. You should remove any toxic chemicals or sharp objects that may put them in danger. In case you just experienced the loss of an old pet, make sure to remove dead animals from your property. If you carelessly dispose of a carcass, it may accumulate bugs that could infest your home. Those organisms may then be transferred to your new pet without your knowledge and affect their health.

Conduct Pest Control

There’s a chance the general cleaning you’ll conduct on your own won’t cover all the areas in your home. You may miss some hidden spots where pests could live and propagate. One common problem you should always address in your property is rat infestation—whether you’re caring for a pet or not.

Everyone who’s staying in your household will be in danger if you have a mouse problem. They could transfer diseases and foreign substances to your food supply which could be dangerous once ingested.

Your handicapped dog or cat may accidentally eat something contaminated by rodents which could cause diarrhea or internal parasites. When this happens, they may suffer severely and even die. If you’ve seen signs of infestation, schedule an appointment with a company that conducts mouse control and other pest control procedures. Getting an expert to perform pest control on your property will ensure even the hard-to-reach areas will be free from any rodents.

Get Them Treated for Parasites

Two main types of parasites that could affect your pets. External parasites like ticks, lice, or fleas may manifest on the outer coating of your dog or cat. In comparison, internal parasites like lungworms or ringworms live on the organs of your animals. Both types could be detrimental to your pet’s health. Hence, you should ensure you establish preventive measures the moment you bring them home.

The best way to protect your handicapped pet is by getting them vaccinated and treated as early as possible. You shouldn’t wait for the parasites to infect their body before you visit the veterinarian. There are standard vaccines for dogs and cats you should complete, so make sure you get them all for your pet. If you’re taking care of other animals like snakes or domesticated birds, try to see if there are treatments or medications you need to give to them to ensure that they’re free from parasites.

Suppose you start to observe that your pet is sick, list down their symptoms, and book an appointment with your local vet. If they experience vomiting or poor appetite, they may have parasites inside their bodies and may require purging to get better.

Bathe and Groom Them

Animals have a different physiology than humans. They could go for days or weeks without bathing—and some domestic animals like cats can groom themselves without the help of their owners. However, as a pet owner, it’s still important you freshen up your pet regularly.

Handicapped pets may have more difficulties managing their bodies, so you should assist them. For example, a partly immobilized dog or cat may not be able to scratch their fur in case they feel an itch. This can cause them irritation or discomfort, so you must clean up their bodies.

You can give your cat or dog a proper bath once or twice monthly, depending on their coat. You don’t need to bathe them every few days unless they get too dirty while playing outdoors. When you groom them, be sure to also check for external parasites like fleas or lice since one or two may stick to their bodies by accident. You can also trim their coats occasionally if it gets too long since it’ll make them more susceptible to ectoparasites.

Final Thoughts

A handicapped pet will need a little more assistance from its owners than animals without any health conditions. If you happen to take care of one, be sure to provide a healthy environment for them so they won’t experience getting sick from parasites and other possible diseases. Cleaning your property and bathing your pet as needed could be one of the effective ways to ensure they’re free from harmful organisms.