Worms are disgusting and they cause illness in pets. Moreover, if care is not taken properly these worms can infect humans as well. These worms wriggle quickly and once inside the host, they quickly develop from eggs into adults. Here are some facts about dog worms that will apprise you of some facts which one must know as a pet owner.
10 Facts About Worms That Pet Owners Need To Know
Puppies and kitten can get affected by worms quite easily and may even die if the treatment is not provided in time. In fact, most pets are born with worms inherited from their mother and thus require worming treatment every 2 weeks until 6 months. However, as the puppies and kitten grow old you can treat them every 3 months.
It is not necessary that a dog will always show signs of worms. Sometimes, even though the pet has a heavy worm infection in his stomach he may not show the usual signs. But, this doesn’t mean such worms don’t harm the body. They certainly excoriate the inner tissues for feed and cause anemia and malnutrition as the infection stays longer.
Scooting is not always a sign of worm infection. Sometimes, dogs may also scoot because of some food or environmental allergy or perhaps due to an infected anal sac. Generally, pets that suffer from worm infections are normally lean and may have a swollen or protruding belly. Their stools are loose but yes, they can also show signs like diarrhea, weight loss or anemia.
Lungworms usually cause breathing difficulties and coughing. But, at times, they can also prevent clotting of blood which can lead to hemorrhage.
Dog worm eggs become infective to humans when they have incubated for a few weeks in the environment. Fresh poop doesn’t contain dangerous eggs of worms and thus it is advised to scoop the fresh poop immediately.
Pets are generally infested with 4 types of intestinal worms – tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms whereas there are two other types of worms that infect the lung and heart of dogs i.e. lungworms and heartworms.
Heartworms in dogs can go unnoticed for up to 5 years.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and cannot be transferred to other pets through contact. It can only be transmitted to other pets through an infected mosquito bite. However, roundworms can be transmitted to humans and other animals through contact.
Most pets get intestinal worms either by eating other pet’s poop or through contaminated soil.
Worms can clog the intestines and can lead to recurring constipation and can be the cause of dull appearance in dogs.
Treatments for Worms
Intestinal worms can be treated using Drontal, Droncit, Antezole Liquid or Paste or Mediworm, etc. All of these products assist in eliminating roundworms, hookworms and whipworm infections effectively. Some of them also provide additional protection against tapeworms as well. However, for parasites that don’t reside in the intestines but in the heart and lungs, there are different products for them.
For lungworms Advantage Multi(Advocate), Panacur and Milbemax are highly effective, whereas, for heartworms preventive, Revolution or Heartgard Plus is the best. Since heartworms are very dangerous and are very difficult to detect, it is important that preventive measures are taken in advance.
David joined CanadaVetCare in 2013 as a product analyst and veterinary assistant. Being a passionate pet lover and keen animal health researcher, David had always found ways and solutions to help pet parents to improve their pets’ health. He is always happy to answer pet health-related queries and recommending pet parents for the right pet product for their furry companions.