My pet has worms. Can my family and I also get worms? What should I do?

Some types of intestinal parasites can be transmitted from dogs and cats to people, including hookworms, roundworms, and Giardia. Prevention of the parasites, early detection, and good hygiene are important to keeping your family safe. To reduce the chance of infection to you and your family, we recommend the following steps:

• Have your pet’s stool checked twice yearly for intestinal parasites.
• Clean all stool from the backyard promptly.
• Always wash your hands after cleaning the backyard or the litterbox.
• Have your children wash their hands frequently, and especially after playing in the dirt.
• Keep your pet on a monthly heartworm preventive that includes a dewormer.
• Control fleas and contact with small wild animals, birds, other dogs, cats and all droppings.