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How to Prevent and Treat Dog Worms?



(June 9, 2010)

Because of the tendency of dogs to eat almost anything that they find, the occurrence of a worm infestation is a rather common case. Every single dog breed is susceptible to being affected by internal parasites and regular fecal examinations as well as parasite prevention methods will go a long way into curbing the ill effects of organisms like roundworm and heartworm. Roundworms are the most common parasite and are more commonly found in puppies. The best way to identify the infestation for dog roundworms will be identifying the presence of a slender, spaghetti shaped noodle that will be present in the animals stool. In most cases of infestation in puppies, the worm reaches its host from an infested mother through Tran placental transfer. Dog heartworms are probably the most dangerous types of worms and, when left untreated, could be fatal. They are carried and transmitted through mosquitoes and find their way into the muscles of the heart. The best diagnostic method would be via regular blood tests. As with humans, tapeworms are a very common occurrence as well. Transmitted primarily through fleas, the best way to diagnose their presence is to look for small egg sacks around the animal’s anus.

The symptoms that one will notice when their pet is affected by dog worms vary from one type of parasite to another. For example, when the animal is infected by tapeworm, the most prominent symptom is the presence of small white, rice grain looking pods in their feces. These are, in fact, the dried segment of the tapeworm. Roundworms, on the other hand, will cause dog vomiting and also the animal would experience bouts of diarrhea and weight loss while it may also trigger a very pot belly appearance. When you notice that your dog is suffering from some kind of worm infestation, it is important to take the animal to a veterinarian for a thorough inspection.

Prevention is always better than cure so regular testing of the animal will go a long way into taking care of the problem. Whenever you choose to travel with your canine, always check with informed individuals about the possible infections or medical risks of your destination. As much as possible, although this may be significantly hard to do, try and keep your pooch away from stray animals as well as wildlife as they are known to be one of the most abundant carriers of parasites as well as fleas.
Submitted by N M on June 9, 2010 at 02:26

 

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