The Dangers of Dog Parasites

When you receive a puppy, one of the first things that you require to do is make an appointment with the vet to get your new member of the relatives his or her vaccinations. Along with any recommended shots, your cuddly dog will probably receive a dose of a de-worming formula to rid them of any internal parasites.

Hookworms
Some parasites can be very hazardous to your dog, to puppies. For example, a hookworm (about 1/8" in length) will adhere itself to the tiny intestine & start to suck the blood from your pet. It may cause extreme anemia, followed by circulatory collapse, extreme diarrhea, hemorrhaging, shock & finally death.

Puppies may get hookworms through the mother's placenta in the coursework of the gestation period or through the mother's milk when nursing. This is why it is very important that new puppies receive a de-worming formula. These parasites can also enter an adult dog basically when your pet walks over soil that contains any contaminated feces from other animals.

In turn, your dog then licks his or her paws & ingests the hookworm larvae. Even without the paw licking the larvae can burrow through the skin & in to the dog.  Two times inside, the larvae migrate to the tiny intestine where they grow in to adult hookworms, usually within 14 days.
 

A female hookworm will start to lay eggs... 20,000 of them per day! As you can see, it is vitally important to have your favourite dog de-wormed ought to they become infested with hookworms. In case you see signs such as diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or weight loss, take your dog to the veterinarian immediately for diagnosis & treatment. Diagnosis is usually made through a tiny chair sample. Treatment consists of an oral or injected medication which kills the adult hookworms, but not the larvae. This treatment needs to be repeated again in 2 to 4 weeks to kill the larvae that have emerged as adults. In cases of extreme anemia, your dog may need a blood transfusion.

Roundworms 

Roundworms are another common parasite most often found in puppies. The worms are usually heavy-bodied & grow to about 6" in length. Infection usually occurs as larvae that have lain dormant in an adult female dog are reactivated when the female dog becomes pregnant. The larvae start to migrate through the placenta to the liver of the fetus. They also will migrate to the mammary glands of the sister, so that the puppies can also become infected while nursing. The time from roundworm larvae infection to the adult stage is about 27 days. Most roundworms live about 4 months in the puppy & are usually expelled by the natural immune method of the puppy before 6 months of age. So, if puppies naturally expel these parasites, how do adult canines finish up with them? The adult dog ingests them by eating some food supply that contain the larvae.
 

Tapeworms
Another very common worm is the tapeworm. This worm lives in the intestines of both canines & felines. The worm is transmitted by fleas. When a dog or cat has fleas, they will naturally ingest the tapeworm while grooming. The tapeworm then makes its way to the intestine. There's usually no noticeable signs for the most part, although sometimes your dog may show some stomach upsets, diarrhea or seems lethargic. You can often tell if your pet has tapeworms by finding tiny, whitish worm segments that look like tiny grains of rice under the tail of your pet or on its bedding.

Also, you dog may start "scooting" their rear finish along the floor because of irritation. It takes about two weeks from the time your dog ingests the flea  until you start to see tapeworm segments. Although not usually harmful to an animals health, tapeworms are definitely something you'll be wanting to rid your dog of. One of the first treatments for tapeworms is to start a program of flea control treatment program for your pet & the immediate surroundings of your house & yard.