{"id":389306,"date":"2026-07-28T16:52:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/389306\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:52:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:52:28","slug":"pet-owners-urged-to-watch-for-new-parasite-threats-including-new-world-screwworm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/389306\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet owners urged to watch for new parasite threats, including New World screwworm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pet parents already know to watch for fleas and ticks, but veterinarians say there is a new parasite threat they should have on their radar this year: New World screwworm.<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Casey Locklear with Animal Health joined We Are Austin to explain what pet owners need to know and how to spot warning signs early.<\/p>\n

A Serious Threat Returning to Texas<\/p>\n

Locklear said New World screwworm, which was eradicated from the United States decades ago, has reemerged in Texas, with one case also reported in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Texas-based veterinarian and a fellow pet parent, New World screwworm is something that is concerning,\u201d Locklear said. \u201cIt is a serious parasitic threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said pet owners should be vigilant and seek care quickly if they suspect their animal may be affected.<\/p>\n

What to Watch For<\/p>\n

New World screwworm can affect any warm-blooded animal and may appear as an unusual wound that gets worse over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wound may be enlarging,\u201d Locklear said. \u201cIt could have some discharge, foul odor, and you may see some glistening movement in that wound.\u201d<\/p>\n

In severe cases, pet owners may even notice maggots, which are the larval stage of the parasite.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see those signs, don’t panic,\u201d she said. \u201cFirst step: contact your veterinarian.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that pet owners should ask their vet whether Cordelio Quattro CA1,<\/a> the first and only conditionally approved treatment for New World screwworm in the U.S., may be appropriate for their dog.<\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Fleas, Ticks and Tapeworms<\/p>\n

Locklear also reminded pet owners that Texas pets are still at risk for more familiar parasites like fleas, ticks and tapeworms.<\/p>\n

Fleas often show up as itching and scratching, while ticks can be harder to detect.<\/p>\n

\u201cTicks can be a bit stealthy,\u201d she said. \u201cYou may not see as many outward signs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her advice: check pets for ticks every day after walks, paying close attention to the ears, neck, toes and hind legs.<\/p>\n

Tapeworms can be even more difficult to spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cOftentimes you won’t see any clinical signs,\u201d Locklear said. \u201cYou may see something that looks like a grain of rice on your pet’s stool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where to Learn More<\/p>\n

For more information about broad-spectrum parasite protection, pet owners can visit CordelioQuattro.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

Those tracking the spread of New World screwworm can also check the screwworm case incidence map <\/a>for the latest updates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pet parents already know to watch for fleas and ticks, but veterinarians say there is a new parasite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":389307,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-389306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}