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Parasite Prevention

Protect your pet from fleas, ticks, heartworms, and more with year-round parasite prevention plans.

Parasite Prevention: Protecting Your Pet Inside and Out
Parasites may be small, but the problems they cause can be serious. Fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites not only make your pet uncomfortable, but they can also lead to major health issues if left untreated. That’s why parasite prevention is a cornerstone of responsible pet care.

At our clinic, we take a proactive approach to help keep your pet safe, healthy, and itch-free year-round.

Why Parasite Prevention Matters

Parasites are more than a nuisance. Some carry diseases that affect your pet’s organs, immune system, and even your family. Others, like intestinal worms, may go unnoticed until your pet shows signs of illness.

Preventive care helps avoid:

  • Itchy, irritated skin

  • Allergic reactions (especially to flea bites)

  • Transmission of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and other tick-borne illnesses

  • Intestinal upset, weight loss, or anemia from worms

  • Potentially fatal heartworm disease

  • Risk of zoonotic transmission (parasites that spread to humans)

With the right plan in place, most of these issues are entirely preventable.

Common Parasites We Guard Against

External Parasites

  • Fleas – cause skin issues and may lead to flea allergy dermatitis

  • Ticks – can transmit serious diseases with just one bite

  • Mites – microscopic pests that lead to ear infections and mange

Internal Parasites

  • Roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms – live in the intestines and can cause digestive problems, especially in puppies and kittens

  • Heartworms – transmitted by mosquitoes, heartworms grow inside the heart and lungs and can be life-threatening if untreated

Prevention Options We Offer

We tailor parasite prevention based on your pet’s lifestyle, age, and regional risks. Options include:

  • Monthly chewable or topical preventives

  • Routine deworming (especially for puppies, kittens, or outdoor pets)

  • Annual fecal exams and heartworm testing

Many of today’s preventatives offer broad-spectrum protection—one dose can cover multiple parasites.

What to Watch For

  • Scratching or biting at the skin

  • Scooting or licking around the rear

  • Visible worms in stool or vomit

  • Lethargy, coughing, or changes in appetite (potential signs of heartworm)

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s best to schedule an exam right away.

Parasite prevention is simple, affordable, and highly effective. Staying consistent with your pet’s prevention plan protects not only their health—but also your household.

💙 Whether it’s a checkup, questions, or care needs, visit us—we’re here to be your partner in your pet’s health.

FAQs

We have provided some answers to our most common questions.

The Josh Client Assistnace Fund is a reserve of donations established in honor of Whole Pet Veterinary Center's former clinic cat, Josh. While Josh now lives with a graduate of our veterinary intern program, he originally came to us with multiple chronic and life-threatening illnesses that were too costly for his family to manage. We hope that with the creation of the Josh Fund, we can provide financial assistance to a small number of pet parents in need of unanticipated critical vet care. Funds will be used at the discretion of the veterinarian overseeing individual cases, along with that of the practice manager.

At Whole Pet Veterinary Center We accept cash, checks, all major credit cards, and CareCredit.

At Whole Pet Veterinary Center, we are an outpatient clinic. While we do keep patients during the day to perform tests and administer treatments, we do not have overnight/24 hr staff and do not keep pets here unattended. Patients not well enough to return home will be recommended to be transferred to the local Emergency hospital/ICU.

Fear-free vet visits use trained professionals and specialized techniques to reduce stress in pets during veterinary appointments. These visits involve gentle handling, a calm environment with soothing scents and lighting, and the use of positive reinforcement like treats and toys to build positive associations with the clinic. For some animals, a vet may also prescribe anti-anxiety medication or suggest bringing a hungry, food-motivated pet to an appointment for better rewards.

Yes, often. However, we are not an emergency or walk-in clinic, so please call. We save specific time slots in each day for pets needing care more urgently. These do tend to fill up fairly quickly in the morning. If we have reached our capacity for patients for the day, we will need to refer you to the local urgent care or emergency walk-in clinics. While we wish we could serve every patient in need, we also need to make sure that the patients we have for the day have enough staff to adequately care for them.

No, at Whole Pet Veterinary Center, all patient visits are by appointment only.