It’s that time of year again — dreaming of barefoot strolls on sunny beaches. But before you start wiggling your toes in the sand, you might want to consider who — or what — was there before you.

Most microscopic beach organisms won’t do you any harm, but some can be a pain. Take hookworms, for example, which usually infect the digestive tract of dogs and cats. Once hookworm eggs are passed into the environment, larvae can burrow into the skin of any unwitting person who comes in contact.

Another pesky parasite is the roundworm — one more canine contagion. Roundworm eggs passed into the environment foul the sand or soil. And if they enter your digestive tract by way of contaminated hands or food, roundworms become your problem too.

So, before you stick your foot in it, look around and see what other critters might be sharing the sand.