fleas

Parasites may be small, but these creatures can cause life-threatening illnesses and wreak havoc on your pet’s health. The most common pet parasites include fleas, ticks, ear mites, heartworms, intestinal worms (like roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms), and single-celled (protozoan) parasites like coccidia and giardia.

Read on for more info on what each parasite is, how they’re spread, symptoms, treatments and preventatives available, and how prevalent they are.