Dog intestinal worms
There are five intestinal worms - or parasite - that can affect your dog. They are roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms and heartworms.
Not intestinal parasites
One other worms that can infect your dog instead of intestinal parasites. This is a ringworm that, despite its name, actually mushrooms.
Roundworms
This is the most common type of worm that tends to infect your dog. They are generally 2-4 inches long, brown or white and "spaghetti-like" creatures with tapered ends.
If your dog becomes infected with roundworms, may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and shows a generally unhealthy appearance. If it becomes very full, it may pass the whole worms in his stool. These worms can cause intestinal blockage.
Most of the dogs are actually born with microscopically small roundworm larvae in their tissues. These worms migrate to the mother's womb, then right into the growing puppy. Roundworms can also be transferred to nurse a dog through its mother's milk.
Tapeworm
Tapeworm segments are usually 1/4-1/2 inch long. When the tapeworm segments dry they tend to look like a grain of rice or sesame seeds.
Tapeworms live in the small intestine of dogs and steal nutrients from the food your dog consumes.
Dog tapeworm symptoms including abdominal discomfort, nervousness, itching around the anus, vomiting, and weight loss
The only way he could get a dog tapeworms is by eating an infected flea.
When your dog ingests fleas, digested, releasing a small tapeworm. Tapeworms attach themselves to your dog's intestinal wall. Initially, the worm is only the head, throat and segments. The worm then starts a new segment to grow, each having its own digestive and reproductive systems. These worms eat up the nutrients in your dog's food as it passes by in the intestine. Finally, the worm warehouse of the older segment. When dry, they look like tiny grains of rice or sesame seeds.
Each segment contains thousands of worm eggs.
Tapeworms can grow up to 15 feet long and the largest ever found was a tapeworm almost 60 feet long
Hookworms
Dogs Hookworms are parasitic nematode worms that live in the small intestine dogs. They are like earthworms in that they are bilateral - which means that you can cut one in half and worms will be the same on each side.
Hookworm Typical symptoms include itchy feet, rash on legs dog, wheezing and coughing, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and blood in the stool or black stools.
Both puppies and adult dogs can suffer from anemia and even death - when infected with hookworm. These worms enter through the skin of your dog and then move through the skin to the lungs where they usually cough and then swallowed. Hookworm is different from other intestinal parasites in that they feed on blood of dogs. Puppies are very susceptible to hookworms and can die from hookworm infection.
Hookworm is difficult to diagnose because they usually do not pass in the stool. In most cases, the only way they can be diagnosed by stool tests are performed by your veterinarian.
How so hookworms can affect your dog depends on the overall health and age.
Whipworm
Like hookworms, whipworms bury their heads into the dog and suck their blood. They live in the cecum, the first part of the intestine of the dogs. These worms get their name from their whip-like shape.
A dog's reaction to whipworms are usually relatively mild, although exceptions do occur. Severe infections can cause attacks of diarrhea and bloody stools may be fresh. Young dogs or dogs with chronic infections may suffer from severe weight loss, dehydration from diarrhea, and anemia.
The dog must swallow whipworm eggs to become infected.
A whip worm infestations can cause severe infections which, in turn, causes diarrhea, weight loss and blood loss. This worm is strong and can survive outdoors in soil for many years.
If your dog shows chronic weight loss and feces which apparently covered with substances such as mucus, may have whipworms and will require medication whipworm
It is usually difficult to prove that the dog has whipworms because they produce relatively few eggs. So, even if you see some samples of dog feces, you may not see whipworms.
Is there a strong possibility that your dog may become infected again? In this case, repeated wormings may be necessary.
Rarely causes death of the dog hookworm, but they can be a real nuisance for dogs.
Liver fluke / Heartworms
Heartworms are very dangerous because they can actually kill your dog. In addition, it can be as long as nine months since your dog become infected with heartworms to mature and the threat to the life of your dog. Scary part is that all this time you will not know the dog has become infected. This is why the liver fluke is often called the "invisible killer."
Unfortunately, your dog will show symptoms of heartworm disease liver fluke after becoming an adult and are at the heart and lungs dog. The symptoms of heartworm disease at this stage include a dull coat, weight loss, difficulty breathing, fainting, and abdominal bloating. In the end, the dog will suffer from congestive heart failure.
The only way you can contact the dog heartworms is if bitten by a mosquito that has given the other dogs infected with heartworms. When a mosquito ingests a blood meal from an infected dog, ingests too small, microscopic creatures called microfilariae. When the mosquito next feeds on your dog, microfilariae are deposited on the skin. Sixty to 90 days, then they broke through and entered one of the arteries dogs, they are then transported to the heart of the dog. These microfilariae will then develop into adult heartworms, which, if untreated, it can clog your dog's heart and lungs and cause death.
The only way heartworms can be diagnosed is through a blood test administered by your veterinarian. If you live in warm, wet like the south, or areas where mosquitoes are prevalent, you should have your veterinarian give your dog these blood tests as part of its routine inspection, yearly. In this way, if already infected with heartworms your veterinarian can begin treatment before it is too late.
Dogs infected with adult heartworms can still be saved through a series of injections that your vet will give at a rate of two per day for two days.
Ringworms
Ringworms not an intestinal parasite, but a fungal infection that can have an effect on your dog's appearance and health.
One clear sign of ringworm is a small area of fur on your dog. This area will also have pustules and scaly skin. The dog will scratch the itching that causes ringworm. If the area is not treated, it will grow larger over time. Dog legs, head and tail of the most common areas for ringworm lesions.
If your dog ringworm contact will usually take it from its surroundings - cages, animal burrows, or from other infected animal.
If you believe your dog may have ringworm, take it to the vet. He can diagnose the disease and then advise you as an anti-fungal pills or topical medications would be best to rid your dog of this disorder.
Preventing worm infestations
The best way to prevent your dog from contacting each type of worm is to take the annual exams. While you're there, you can ask your vet to recommend a broad spectrum of preventive products. The latest of these products will protect your dog against heartworms, roundworms, whipworms, and even lice.
Be sure to keep your dog flea free because only through fleas that your dog can contact tapeworm.
Try not to expose your dog to a wild animal or wildlife, because they often carry fleas and other parasites. Also, it's a good idea to keep your dog away from the dog park is not well maintained, as this can be a source of parasite
Keep your dog from eating animal carcasses, such as birds, mice and rabbits. It can bring a dead adult worms which then grow into adult worms after your dog ingests them.
Do not let your dog eat the feces of either your own or from other dogs or animals.
Check your dog's anus and feces regularly and look for signs of tapeworms. As indicated above, a small segment of the tapeworm, broad and flat and resemble grains of rice.
Finally, the veterinarian has examined specimens of dog waste when it has an annual inspection.
As you can see, there are a number of parasites that can infect your dog. This makes a double imperative that you take your dog in for a routine check-up because this is the only way to ensure it remains parasite free.
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