Protecting and sustaining the long, healthy life of your pet with proactive parasite testing and control

The veterinarians and staff at Bluestar Pet Hospital & Grooming in St. Johns, Florida, recognize that what gets measured gets managed. Furthermore, our team appreciates that what gets protected gets prevented. These truths are particularly evident regarding parasites that can make your pet sick. We have invested in an array of onsite capabilities to proactively and accurately detect parasites, including the fecal test or analysis of your pet’s stool. We also encourage preventive services, such as vaccinations, to protect your pet from the many parasitic threats that can be avoided and controlled. 

These potential threats include:

• Tapeworms 
• Whipworms
• Hookworms
• Roundworms
• Giardia
• Coccidia
• Heartworms

Depending on the particular type and species of parasite that has infected your pup or cat, symptoms associated with these parasites can vary wildly. Symptoms can also vary from pet to pet and are dependent on factors such as the age and the general health of your feline or canine. 

Potential signs or complications of worms and other parasites include:  

• Watery stools
• Bloody feces
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss 
• Scooting behaviors
• More coughing than normal 
• Labored breathing
• Dull fur
• Visible worms (may be present underneath the tail, in feces, or on bedding)
• Dehydration
• Abdominal swelling
• Listlessness, lack of interest in food
• Vomiting

Behavioral changes, such as increased irritability 

Fortunately, these problems can be avoided with preventative measures like deworming and preventives. We prioritize “well” visits. We will get your dog or cat on a year-round parasite control program. In turn, your pet is protected from heartworm, intestinal parasites, and external parasites (think: fleas and ticks). Furthermore, we tailor vaccination products and schedules to your one-of-a-kind pet and its risk factors and lifestyle. 

Prompt, proactive diagnoses 

We also routinely perform fecal or stool testing. Remember: Accurate and prompt diagnostics inform appropriate treatment measures. So we can get your pet back on the road to health. 

Such tests may be performed when your dog or cat has acute or chronic Gastrointestinal problems. Or, we may order such tests when ruling out other problems or pinpointing certain types of parasitic infections. After all, many conditions may be associated with GI symptoms. And many different types of parasites also cause similar symptoms. 

Plus, not all parasites do you the favor of presenting themselves in stool as white or cream-hued discoloration (resembling grains of rice) on your pet’s fur or in their feces. Lots of parasites like to “hide.” They may be revealed through our careful analysis. 

We’ll provide instructions on how to collect a stool sample from your cat or dog. From there, we use different and exacting techniques to examine the sample under a microscope. We can determine if parasites are present. And if so, we can identify the type of parasite, which then informs the best therapy for your pet. 

Of course, not all conditions that affect our pets can be prevented. But we believe in preventing what we can, including protecting our beloved pets from dangers presented by parasites. 

We can also discuss other measures to minimize the risk of parasites infecting your pet and potentially other human and furry members of your household. 

Call our St. Johns, FL clinic at (904) 720-4275. Be sure to ask about our affordable Wellness Plans, including preventative vaccinations, parasite screening and deworming.

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