The
first question is what are worms, then how do my dogs get infested, and then
the next is how do I treat, control, or prevent these things called worms.
It
is important to know that worms are very dangerous to the well-being of your pet;
they can cause the following complications
· Make
your dog lose weight
· Make
your dog have a low amount of blood, especially red blood cells (Anemia)
· They
can cause your dog have diarrhea
· Some
can be easily transferred to you (zoonosis)
· You
will not enjoy the company of your dog
· Death
if infestation is not treated.
Often
you will be able to tell if your dog has worms by the signs they are
exhibiting. Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms:
· Diarrhea,
perhaps with blood
· Weight
loss
· Dry
hair
· General
poor appearance
· Vomiting,
perhaps with worms in the vomit
So how do we prevent worm infestation?
Ok its easier than you
might be expecting but first lets know what they are Broadly there are two
types of worms that cause problems in the dog, Nematodes (roundworms),
and Cestodes (tapeworms). Common nematodes are Toxocara
canis (intestinal roundworm) and Diarofilaria
immitis, the heart worm. Important Cestode parasites include
Dipylidium
caninum, Taenia species and Echinococcus species. Hookworms (Ancylostoma
species),
are also occasionally encountered.
How can my animal get worms?
Dogs and cats of any age can get roundworms but they are most likely to have roundworms when they are very young. Worms are often passed from a mother to her puppies or kittens before birth or shortly after birth through her milk. Roundworms can also spread between animals by ingestion of worm eggs from the feces of an infected animal.
Dogs and cats of any age can get roundworms but they are most likely to have roundworms when they are very young. Worms are often passed from a mother to her puppies or kittens before birth or shortly after birth through her milk. Roundworms can also spread between animals by ingestion of worm eggs from the feces of an infected animal.
So, how do we prevent worm
infestation?
Simple,
if the following are done without complacencies, then your dog is surely going
to be free of worm infestation.
· Proper
sanitation is the key and most important way to prevent worm infestation, this
involve regular cleaning and disinfecting pet related materials, removing dog
feces promptly and preventing coprophagy.
· Always
make sure the water and feed given to your pet is from a safe and trusted
source to prevent the possibility of dog getting infested from consuming the
larva or eggs in fecal contaminated feed or water.
· Always
see a veterinarian when dogs behavior especially towards food drops or dogs
activity is reduced, or when dog lose weight or hairs or other clinical signs as stated above. Puppies are supposed to
be dewormed each month, and as they grow up they should be dewormed every 2 to
3 months.
It
is important not to attempt to deworm your pet by yourself, instead see a
veterinarian who is specially trained to take care of your pets.
