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Protect Your Pet — and Your Home — from Fleas, Ticks, Heartworms & More
There was a time when parasites like fleas, ticks, and roundworms were considered mostly a nuisance. Today, we know they can cause serious illness — and even death — in pets. Some parasites also carry zoonotic diseases, which means they can spread from pets to people.
Even indoor pets or those who only go in one yard are at risk.
Parasites can come in through an open door, on your shoes, or hitch a ride on another animal.
For example:
Ticks can transmit Lyme disease.
Fleas can carry tapeworms and Bartonella (which causes “cat scratch fever” in humans).
Heartworms, spread by mosquitoes, can damage your pet’s heart and lungs — and can be fatal.
Roundworms and hookworms can infect both pets and people, sometimes causing severe illness or even blindness in children.
You May Not Know Your Pet Has Parasites
Fleas can hide under fur. Some ticks are as small as a pinhead. Many intestinal parasites cause no visible symptoms until the infection becomes advanced. That’s why routine parasite testing and prevention are essential.
Once fleas get into your home, it can take months to eliminate them completely.
Preventive Products We Offer
At Grand Oaks Pet Hospital, we carry a full selection of veterinary-recommended parasite preventives to keep your pet protected year-round, including:
Flea & tick preventives
Heartworm preventives
Dewormers for intestinal parasites
Benefits of purchasing from us:
Guaranteed by the manufacturer
Competitive pricing
Many include manufacturer rebates
Available through our online pharmacy for convenient home delivery
Not sure which product is best? Our team will help you choose based on your pet’s age, lifestyle, and risk factors.
Pets & Parasites is a great website to learn even more - CLICK HERE
Parasite Testing: What We Screen For
During your pet’s comprehensive exam, we screen for both external and internal parasites.
External Parasites:
Fleas, ticks, lice, and mites
Identified through visual inspection, flea combing, and ear/skin checks
Some microscopic parasites may require additional testing if symptoms are present
Internal Parasites:
Heartworms – transmitted by mosquitoes
Roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms – some of which can infect humans
We recommend annual testing, including:
A fecal exam to detect intestinal worms
A heartworm test, which also screens for Lyme disease, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia (serious tick-borne illnesses)
Why Prevention Is So Important
While most parasites can be treated, prevention is:
Safer for your pet
Easier for your family
More cost-effective than treating an advanced infection
Did you know?
One mosquito bite can infect your pet with heartworms.
Some intestinal parasites can spread to humans.
Roundworms are a leading cause of preventable blindness in children.
Not Using Preventives Yet?
Let us help you choose the right product — from monthly chews and topical treatments to long-lasting options.
Our favorite flea and tick prevention for dogs is Bravecto Quantum, a single injection that protects for an entire year!
We’ll guide you through everything you need to know.
Ready to Protect Your Pet?
Booking your appointment is easy!
Grand Oaks Pet Hospital
Your Partner in Preventive Care
Let’s keep your pet — and your family — safe, healthy, and parasite-free.
Heartworms are serious, potentially fatal parasites that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected pets. They are spread by mosquitoes, making both dogs and cats vulnerable — even pets that live primarily indoors.
How Pets Get Infected:When a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae bites your pet, it transfers the larvae into the bloodstream. Over several months, these larvae mature into adult worms that can grow up to 12 inches long, causing severe damage to the heart and lungs.
Symptoms May Include:
Why It Matters: Heartworm disease can be life-threatening, but it’s entirely preventable. Treatment for dogs is lengthy and costly, and there is no approved treatment for heartworms in cats, making prevention critical.
Treatment and Prevention: Heartworm prevention is simple and safe — available as a monthly chew, topical treatment, or injection. We recommend year-round prevention and an annual heartworm test to ensure your pet stays protected. Our preferred preventative is Bravecto Plus for Cats and Sentinel for Dogs.
Hookworms are small intestinal parasites that attach to the lining of your pet’s intestines and feed on blood. Even though they’re tiny, they can cause serious illness — especially in puppies and kittens.
How Pets Get Infected:Pets can become infected by:
Symptoms May Include:
Why It Matters:Hookworms can also infect humans through contact with contaminated soil, causing skin irritation or, in rare cases, more serious illness. Prompt treatment and prevention protect both your pet and your family.
Treatment and Prevention:Hookworm infections are treated with prescription dewormers. Because reinfection is common, multiple treatments and routine fecal exams are often needed. Keeping your pet on monthly parasite prevention and promptly cleaning up waste are the best ways to stop the cycle.
Roundworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. These worms live in the intestines, where they feed on nutrients meant for your pet.
How Pets Get Infected:Pets can become infected by swallowing roundworm eggs from contaminated soil, food, water, or feces. Puppies and kittens can also be born with roundworms if their mother is infected, or they can get them through nursing.
Symptoms May Include:
Why It Matters:Roundworms aren’t just a problem for pets — they’re zoonotic, meaning they can infect humans. In rare cases, roundworm larvae can migrate through body tissues and even cause blindness in children.
Treatment and Prevention:Roundworm infections are treated with prescription deworming medication. Because eggs can survive in the environment for months, repeat treatments and routine fecal exams are important. Keeping your yard clean and your pet on monthly parasite prevention helps stop reinfection.
Whipworms are intestinal parasites that live in the large intestine and cecum of dogs. They attach to the intestinal lining and feed on blood, which can lead to weight loss, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), and general poor condition.
Cause: Pets become infected by swallowing whipworm eggs from contaminated soil, food, water, or feces. These eggs can survive in the environment for years.
Treatment: Whipworm infections are treated with prescription deworming medication. Because the eggs are very hardy, multiple treatments spaced a few weeks apart are often necessary. Cleaning up pet waste promptly and maintaining regular fecal testing help prevent reinfection.
Wouldn't it be nice to take another thing off your to do list? Once a year, one injection instead of remembering to give a chew! The best thing is it saves you money when purchased with Sentinel. Sentinel is your monthly heartworm prevention.
