What’s the risk of parasites in dogs?

Parasites everywhere

It’s challenging for pet owners to identify parasites in their pets. You might be familiar with fleas and ticks, but these are only external parasites residing on the skin. Internal parasites, like worms, can affect organs like the intestines, lungs, or the heart, causing different types of harm to our beloved pets.

"Understanding the risks of parasites is your first step to a healthier, happier pet and a healthier you," says Dr. Loic Antoine, our Technical Service Manager at Pet Parasiticides. "Prevention is better than cure, and with this knowledge, you're not just protecting your furry friends but also safeguarding your health. In the end, a pet owner who knows about parasite risks is a pet owner who can provide a safe, healthy environment for their pets," comments Loic.

A recent study (WormWatch) in the UK and Ireland, supported by us alongside leading parasitologists discovered that 86 percent of the soil samples taken from the UK parks contained Toxocara eggs, commonly known as roundworms. These findings highlight the high prevalence of roundworm eggs in areas frequently used by our four-legged friends where they walk, play, and sniff, making dogs very susceptible to catching parasites on their daily walks. More importantly, roundworms are associated with several conditions which affect humans. Fortunately, transmissions and infections can be proactively managed through monthly deworming in dogs.

This kind of assessment led our teams to think about solutions. Our colleagues wanted to help pet owners learn their dog's risks and ensure their health. So, they worked together with several experts in parasitology and developed Parassess.

Interactive risk checker

Parassess is a free, interactive digital risk checker tool based on the most up-to-date understanding of parasite risk factors and control recommendations. The risk factors are related to each dog, like the sex and age, and other external factors, like location and behavior. It analyzes the risk factors and offers a personal risk assessment for the most common parasites. It is easy to use as you only need to fill out a questionnaire, which takes only a few minutes. The tool always recommends sharing the report with your vet. They can discuss and evaluate the risk level for the parasites of interest locally and adapt their recommendations to fit your pets' needs better. Parassess makes it easier for them to know which dogs require broader protection due to their daily activities and behavior.

Using Parassess is easy

While you’re waiting in the praxis for your vet’s appointment or enjoying some relaxing time at home, you just go to the website and answer a few questions regarding your dog’s behavior and lifestyle.

This tool is now available in the UK and will soon be accessible in other countries around the world. But what about cats? We haven’t forgotten about them. We are developing a cat version so our kitty friends can also benefit from this tool.