There are some facts parents should bone up on before welcoming four-footed friends into the family.

"Pets have always been very special to children and are important for childhood development, but parents need to play an active role in ensuring a healthy environment and interaction between children and pets," said Dr. Lynn Buzhardt, a nationally recognized veterinarian on family/pet concerns and consultant to a new resource, GrowingUpWithPets. com, presented by Novartis Animal Health US, Inc.

For example, did you know that dogs and cats are susceptible to parasites? These five parasites pose a threat to a dog's health: heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and fleas. Intestinal parasites can also be life-threatening to dogs and some can transfer diseases to humans, which is known as zoonosis.

Children are especially susceptible to zoonotic diseases because they often touch things and stick their hands in their mouths without washing them first. As many as 4 to 20 percent of American children contract roundworms from their pets each year. Fortunately, there are easy ways to protect your children and pets from parasites:

• Have your pet's stool examined by your veterinarian every six to 12 months.

• Have your veterinarian place your dog on a year-round heartworm, intestinal parasite and flea preventive, as recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Companion Animal Parasite Council. Ask your veterinarian about a convenient oral 5-in-1 product that prevents heartworm, intestinal parasites and fleas.

• Use a pooper-scooper. As feces breaks down, parasite eggs are deposited into the soil. This is one of most common ways of contracting parasites.

• Always wash your children's hands after playing outside and before eating.

Many internal parasites that pose a threat to dogs can also be transferred to humans in a process known as zoonosis.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Stacey Moore