Heart Worms
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 roundworm is the most common infestation. This parasite will pass to pups from their mothers either before birth or while she is nursing. Roundworms can be passed to humans. In dogs, this worm causes a potbellied appearance and weight loss. These worms multiply at a very fast rate if left untreated. An adult female roundworm can lay up to 200,000 eggs daily for a year. This may cause an obstruction in the dog's intestinal tract and lead to death. You should treat your pets with a regular schedule of de-wormer beginning when pups are weaned. Commercial as well as natural treatments are 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 long and flat and resembles a piece of tape. It is spread to dogs by the ingestion of an infected flea. For example, the flea feeds off of an infected animal and picks up the tapeworm egg. While grooming itself, your dog eats the flea. dog worms symptoms of the tapeworm include itching, especially around the anus, abdominal pain, itching, vomiting and weight loss. If any of these symptoms appear, get you dog checked out by your vet.
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 heartworm is the most serious dog worm. It is passed through the mosquito. If you want your pooch to be heartworm free, you must seek prevention. People who should worry about this will live in warm, damp climates and will have a heavy mosquito population. If your dog becomes infected, there are a few treatment options available. Most of them amount to giving your canine limited doses of arsenic which can kill your pet. The heartworm will make its haven in the heart and its arteries causing it to enlarge and eventually fail. dog worms symptoms of the heartworm include coughing, weight loss and a potbellied appearance. No matter what kind of worm you may be dealing with, seek natural advice or that of your vet. Be proactive for better canine health. Your dog will give you a big lick in appreciation!
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. Of all the types of dog worms, heartworm is the most serious, but all types of canine worms can make your dog sick. Discover how to prevent dog worm symptoms by preventing the worms.
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