A Deadly Water Parasite Is Sickening Healthy Dogs, Top Vets Warn

New research on Heterobilharzia americana, the parasite that causes canine schistosomiasis - once considered a Gulf Coast oddity - has NYC’s Animal Medical Center warning owners to be on the lookout.

SEATTLE — When I noticed “canine schistosomiasis” on the agenda for a veterinary conference I attended here in June, my stomach dropped. No pun intended.

I had studied human schistosomiasis as an unde…