Yes. A lot of times, we can anesthetize them and remove the entire mass. We send it out for histopathology, and they'll tell us what it is, if we got it all, and what's likely to happen next.

It might've helped if you had neutered it before it started spraying, and that's why we recommend neutering them at six months of age before they even thought about that. Once the cats have sprayed all over the house, it definitely has an odor, and it's a behavior that can be very repetitive. I will tell you that it could only help—it wouldn't make it any worse. By neutering them and then cleaning up the areas really well, you might be able to stop that behavior.

We typically send several days' worth of pain medication for our furry friends. We want them to be in the best comfort that they can be after the procedure. Some common pains that we send include carprofen or meloxicam.

Typically, neutering can reduce the urge to mark around the house and reduce the odor of their urine. It generally does help reduce their spraying, but there is always that small percentage that does not stop.

The best thing you can do is to bring your dog in so we can examine it and then prescribe the appropriate types of preventatives. At home, though, ensure you're picking up your dog's fecal material frequently, so they're not potentially spreading things in their yard and reinfecting themselves. You should also limit their exposure to other pets that might be carrying parasites.

I currently don't recommend any kind of over-the-counter or natural remedies for parasites. Most of those are not very effective and, in some cases, can be extremely toxic.

Parasitic infections are usually not going to go away on their own. They do require treatment, which can be topical or oral.

Yes. For external and internal parasites, there are preventatives that we can prescribe.

Parasites can be transmittable to people as well. Again, depending on the type of parasite, whether external or internal, we would have that discussion with you as far as if there are any concerns for that.