What You Need To Know About Worms In Dogs
Worms in dogs and the potential health risk they pose not only to the pets but to people as well should always be at the forefront of responsible dog owners’ minds. Worms in dogs can cause ill health in both canines and humans: they are internal parasites.
Although worms in dogs do cause damage to their health, there are often no symptoms until the damage is already being done. Worms in dogs are difficult to spot, but be alert for general loss of condition, sickness and diarrhoea. Roundworms and tapeworms are the two types of worms in dogs.
Roundworms
Roundworms, which are very pale white or beige coloured, look as though they are coiled in the shape of a spring and can grow as long as 100mm. They might be visible in your pet’s faeces or vomit. Roundworm larvae find their way into the dog’s body when they are ingested and adult worms then develop inside the dog’s body. The eggs are then passed out in faeces, allowing the worm’s life cycle to be completed. The most common form of roundworm, Toxocare Canis, sadly affects the health of people, and notably children. When children ingest eggs as a result of contact with contaminated soil, larvae can grow in their bodies and migrate around the body. Should the larvae reach the eyes, they have the potential to cause serious damage to the eyesight. This is one of the main reasons why dog owners should always pick up after their pet.
Tapeworms
You may be able to see evidence of tapeworms in your dog’s faeces or around his anus: they look like flat segments filled with what look like moving grains of rice but are actually eggs. Dogs become infected with tapeworms when they swallow fleas whilst grooming because fleas carry tapeworm larvae. An adult worm inside the dog can be as long as 5 metres.
In keeping with the general rule of thumb for any health problem, prevention is better than cure for worms in dogs. It is therefore important to ensure your dog is wormed every three months. Worming should be carried out even more regularly than that in young puppies. Effective worming medication can be bought at either a pet shop or a veterinary surgery, but you should ask your vet to suggest the most appropriate one.
