Houston’s warm, humid climate is essentially paradise for parasites. While most pet owners know fleas and ticks exist, fewer realize how seriously ill these and other parasites can make a pet, sometimes quickly enough to require urgent care.
Here’s what we see most often in the Houston area during summer months, what problems each parasite causes, and the warning signs that mean your pet needs to be seen today.
Ticks
Texas has several tick species active in summer, including the Lone Star tick, American dog tick, and Gulf Coast tick. All can transmit disease.
Tick-Borne Diseases Worth Knowing
- Ehrlichiosis: fever, lethargy, low platelet count, sometimes leading to bleeding complications
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: can cause severe illness rapidly with fever, swelling, bleeding, and neurological signs
- Lyme Disease: less common in Southeast Texas but possible; causes joint pain and lameness, but there are also kidney and neurologic diseases reported as well
- Tick Paralysis: an under-recognized but serious condition. A toxin in tick saliva causes progressive weakness that can look like a neurological emergency
Tick paralysis deserves special mention. A dog can go from slightly wobbly to unable to stand within hours. The treatment is simply finding and removing the tick, but the earlier it’s found, the faster recovery happens.
Safe Tick Removal
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a dedicated tick removal tool
- Grasp as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady pressure, no twisting
- Don’t crush the tick’s body, or use heat or petroleum jelly
- Clean the site and your hands thoroughly afterward
Save the tick in a sealed bag. It may help with disease identification later if your pet becomes ill.
Fleas
Fleas aren’t just irritating, they cause real medical problems:
- Flea allergy dermatitis: an allergic reaction to flea saliva causing intense itching, hot spots, and skin infections that can become severe
- Anemia: a single flea consumes roughly 15 times its body weight in blood daily. In puppies, kittens, or small pets with heavy infestations, this leads to dangerous blood loss
- Tapeworms: fleas are the intermediate host for the most common tapeworm in dogs and cats — ingested during grooming
Come in urgently if you have a young or small pet who is pale, lethargic, or unusually weak alongside an active flea infestation. That combination signals anemia.
Intestinal Parasites
Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and Giardia are all common in the Houston area. Most adult pets show mild symptoms. But heavy infestations, particularly in young animals, can cause:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite
- A visibly pot-bellied appearance in puppies
- Lethargy and weakness
Hookworms are particularly aggressive. They attach to the intestinal wall and draw blood, which can produce anemia serious enough to be life-threatening in very young animals.
Heartworm
The American Heartworm Society consistently identifies Houston as one of the highest heartworm incidence areas in the United States. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm larvae, which mature into worms living in the heart and pulmonary arteries.
Heartworm disease develops slowly over months. By the time symptoms appear — coughing, exercise intolerance, weight loss, respiratory distress — the disease is often advanced. Treatment is lengthy, hard on the pet, and expensive. Monthly prevention is simple, cheap, and effective.
Signs That Mean Come In Today
- Severe lethargy in a pet
- Progressive weakness or staggering after a tick was found on your pet
- Bloody diarrhea or persistent vomiting
- Pale gums in a puppy or kitten
- Sudden onset coughing, labored breathing, or exercise-related collapse
- Intense scratching that has caused open wounds or significant skin infection
Frequently Asked Questions
Do indoor cats need parasite prevention?
Yes. Fleas and mosquitoes find their way inside easily. Indoor cats can and do get heartworm (although less common). Talk to your vet about what prevention is appropriate for your cat.
My dog is on flea prevention but still has fleas. Why?
Most preventatives kill adult fleas but don’t eliminate all life stages simultaneously. A heavy environmental infestation (in carpets, bedding, yard soil) keeps cycling. You need to treat both the pet and the environment at the same time.
How do I know if my pet has intestinal parasites?
Often you can’t tell by looking. Annual fecal testing through your regular vet is the reliable method. Visible worm segments in stool or around the rear end (tapeworm segments look like small grains of rice) are a clearer sign.
What’s the best way to clear a flea infestation at home?
Treat all pets in the household simultaneously, wash all bedding on hot, vacuum thoroughly and frequently, and treat the home environment with an appropriate product. Your vet can recommend pet-safe options.
Concerned your pet is showing signs of infestation?
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