In a nutshell, zoonotic parasites can transfer from an animal to a human (and from human to animal). 

With zoonotic intestinal parasites, like hookworms and roundworms, we need to take preventative measures to keep everyone safe. This is especially important for the most vulnerable: children, the elderly and others who have weaker immune systems.

Even if your pet shows no symptoms of intestinal parasites, such as visible worms or egg sacks in their stool, they may have undetected parasites. These unseen parasites could harm them and spread to you and your family.

If you have a new puppy or kitten, there’s a high chance they received intestinal parasites from the mother while pregnant or nursing. Although many puppies and kittens are routinely given deworming treatments, it is not uncommon for intestinal parasites to still be present. This is why they may need additional deworming treatments over the course of their vaccine series.

Routine intestinal parasite testing and deworming is the best way to catch zoonotic parasites before they are passed along from Fido to your five-year-old. 

For puppies or kittens, it can be done with initial intestinal parasite tests to catch anything before it gets passed to your family. After initial tests, it is recommended to have healthy adult pets tested at least once a year. This ensures nothing new is present, or lets your veterinarian appropriately treat any intestinal parasite infestations if found.

At Essentials PetCare, our intestinal parasite tests are especially effective because we send our samples to a reference lab that detects infections even if eggs and visible worms are not present in the sample. 


Stop by your local Essentials PetCare clinic for an intestinal parasite test. The intestinal parasite test is available as a standalone service for your walk-in convenience. We also include it in many of our bundled wellness packages. You can view our services with all-inclusive pricing on our website to find the best fit for your pet.

Prices subject to change. See current prices: https://essentialspetcare.com/services.