One of the most common ailments in dogs is worm infestations. Worms are parasites that live inside the animal and cause different problems, depending on the type of worm your pet has. Generally, there are five major types of worms, roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, whipworm and the dreaded heartworm. All of these can cause light to serious complications and should never be left untreated. First, let's look at the different types of parasite and what they do.
The most common type of infestation comes from the roundworm. This parasite is usually passed to puppies from their mothers either before birth or in her breast milk. This intestinal worm can be passed to humans. In dogs, the worm will cause weight loss and a potbellied appearance. Left untreated these worms multiply at an alarming rate. An adult female roundworm can lay up to 200,000 eggs per day for a year. This can cause an obstruction in the dogs' intestinal tract and lead to death. It is recommended that you treat your animals with a regular schedule of de-wormer starting when they are weaned. There are commercial as well as natural treatment options available.
Hookworms are similar to roundworms because they are intestinal parasites. The hookworm is smaller and feeds on blood from your dog's intestinal wall. Hookworm dog worms symptoms are anemia which may lead to death. Some symptoms are not visible in the vomit or stool. To make sure if your dog is infested with hookworms, you must take in a stool sample to your vet for analysis. The hookworm can be passed to humans but it will not cause the same problems as in canines. In humans, the hookworm penetrates just under the skin's surface causing an itchy rash with a worm like appearance.
The tapeworm is so named because of its appearance; it is long and flat looking much like a piece of tape. This type of worm is spread in dogs by the ingestion of an infected flea. For example, the flea feeds off an infected animal picking up the tapeworm egg, and then your pet eats the flea while grooming himself. Symptoms of tapeworm infestation are nervousness, abdominal pain, itching especially around the anus, vomiting and weight loss. If you see any of these symptoms, you may want to seek medical attention.
The whipworms live in the dogs' colon and are not visible to the naked eye. They too feed off the intestinal wall and cause many ailments. Symptoms of this type of dog worm are anemia, weight loss, flatulence and diarrhea which contains blood or mucous. This parasite is the hardest of the intestinal worms to remove but there are treatment options available both natural and pharmaceutical.
The most serious of dog worms is the heartworm. It is passed from one animal to another through mosquitoes. If you want your dog to be free of heartworms, you must seek prevention. People need to be concerned who live in warm, damp climates and are prone to heavy mosquito activity. Once your dog is infected, you have a few treatment options available. Most of them amount to giving the dog limited amounts of arsenic. This alone can kill the dog. The heartworm will take up residence in the heart and its arteries causing it to enlarge and eventually fail. dog worms symptoms of the heart worm include weight loss, coughing as well as a potbellied appearance. No matter what kind of parasite you may be dealing with seek either natural advice or that of a veterinarian. Be proactive for better canine health. Your dog will give you a big lick in thanks!
The most common type of infestation comes from the roundworm. This parasite is usually passed to puppies from their mothers either before birth or in her breast milk. This intestinal worm can be passed to humans. In dogs, the worm will cause weight loss and a potbellied appearance. Left untreated these worms multiply at an alarming rate. An adult female roundworm can lay up to 200,000 eggs per day for a year. This can cause an obstruction in the dogs' intestinal tract and lead to death. It is recommended that you treat your animals with a regular schedule of de-wormer starting when they are weaned. There are commercial as well as natural treatment options available.
Hookworms are similar to roundworms because they are intestinal parasites. The hookworm is smaller and feeds on blood from your dog's intestinal wall. Hookworm dog worms symptoms are anemia which may lead to death. Some symptoms are not visible in the vomit or stool. To make sure if your dog is infested with hookworms, you must take in a stool sample to your vet for analysis. The hookworm can be passed to humans but it will not cause the same problems as in canines. In humans, the hookworm penetrates just under the skin's surface causing an itchy rash with a worm like appearance.
The tapeworm is so named because of its appearance; it is long and flat looking much like a piece of tape. This type of worm is spread in dogs by the ingestion of an infected flea. For example, the flea feeds off an infected animal picking up the tapeworm egg, and then your pet eats the flea while grooming himself. Symptoms of tapeworm infestation are nervousness, abdominal pain, itching especially around the anus, vomiting and weight loss. If you see any of these symptoms, you may want to seek medical attention.
The whipworms live in the dogs' colon and are not visible to the naked eye. They too feed off the intestinal wall and cause many ailments. Symptoms of this type of dog worm are anemia, weight loss, flatulence and diarrhea which contains blood or mucous. This parasite is the hardest of the intestinal worms to remove but there are treatment options available both natural and pharmaceutical.
The most serious of dog worms is the heartworm. It is passed from one animal to another through mosquitoes. If you want your dog to be free of heartworms, you must seek prevention. People need to be concerned who live in warm, damp climates and are prone to heavy mosquito activity. Once your dog is infected, you have a few treatment options available. Most of them amount to giving the dog limited amounts of arsenic. This alone can kill the dog. The heartworm will take up residence in the heart and its arteries causing it to enlarge and eventually fail. dog worms symptoms of the heart worm include weight loss, coughing as well as a potbellied appearance. No matter what kind of parasite you may be dealing with seek either natural advice or that of a veterinarian. Be proactive for better canine health. Your dog will give you a big lick in thanks!
About the Author:
Dog worms are an ever present problem for your dog. Dog worms symptoms depend upon the type of dog worms that are present in your dog. Heartworm is the most deadly of dog worm types, but all types of canine worms can make your dog sick. Find out how to prevent symptoms of dog worms by preventing the worms.
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