HOW TO DEAL WITH INTERNAL PARASITES

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But—just as our resistance to the common cold can be lowered if we become "run down" or exposed to unhealthy environmental conditions—a weary, unsheltered, or poorly fed animal will be much less likely to develop an immunity to parasites.

DO YOUR ANIMALS HAVE PARASITES?

At this point you're probably scratching your head and wondering if your beasts might, indeed, have parasites. Unfortunately, there's no way for you to tell by looking at the animals. A dog who eats grass may have worms . . . but then again, he or she might just like eating grass. A goat who chews on the manger may carry parasites, too, or perhaps be simply bored. Unless animals are heavily infested, they won't likely show the classic "symptoms". The beasts may just not be as "vital" as they would be if they were completely healthy.

Most worms that could infect your pets or barnyard beasts are far too tiny to be detected with the naked eye. The tapeworm, however, is the exception to this rule. If you notice small, white, worm-like things crawling around in fresh manure (or small, white, dried-up objects that resemble rice grains) chances are that your critter has tapeworms. The "ricey" looking objects are actually segments, or proglottids, of what may be a very long parasite . . . and each of these sections is a "packet" that contains many tapeworm eggs.

The only way to discover whether or not your critters have the smaller worms, though (or to tell which kinds of worms they're harboring), is to have your vet check the animals out. To do this, the veterinarian will mix a sample of the beasts' manure in a solution . . . and the manure will sink while the parasite eggs float to the top. By examining these eggs under a microscope, the vet will be able to tell what kinds of worms are present and can then determine the best methods to control the pests. (Having a fecal sample analyzed for parasite eggs shouldn't run you more than a few dollars . . . and unchecked worms could cost you more than that in no time!)

All you have to do to prepare for one of these tests is collect a sample of fresh manure—a lump about half the size of a horse chestnut will do—and whisk it off to your vet. You will, of course, need a separate example for each kind of animal that you have, but—if you keep a number of one kind of critter in one area—you'll only need a single sampling ... as all of the sheep, cows, etc. In that pasture or barn will probably be hosting the same parasites.

Remember that the samples (you can carry 'cm in an old baby food jar or the like if your vet doesn't provide a container) should be fresh. If the manure sits for too long, the eggs may hatch into larvae . . . and these won't necessarily be found by a vet who's looking for eggs. Tapeworm segments won't show up in a flotation test, either . . . but, of course, you'll be able to spot those worm "indicators" yourself.

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