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Who doesn’t love their furry friend? They stay with you through thick and thin and soon become a critical part of life. Just as humans suffer from lice and dandruff problems during their lifetime, dogs also develop worms. There is no denying the fact that the thought of worms in dogs is pathetic, and the worst part is when they cannot express their condition.
You don’t want your friend to go through this miserable situation where the crawlies infest their internal organs. However, you can prevent their condition from worsening and treat the worms with the right knowledge.
For that, you will have to understand the symptoms, risks, and other treatment options for worms. This is an important responsibility for people who are dog owners. You can consider giving them medicines like Heartgard plus dog chews that can help prevent, treat, and control the development of several worms.
5 Common Worms In Dogs And Their Prevention
Keep reading to know the most common worms that dogs can develop and how you can prevent them from spreading.
Whipworms
Whipworms are a kind of worm that lives in the cecum (the opening of their large intestine) and colon, the place where they pass the eggs into feces. They develop whipworms when they ingest a previously infested substance, such as water, soil, animal flesh, etc. The egg can easily last for up to four years in warm and moist climates, so you must sanitize your dog for good health.
Prevent your dog from ingesting stuff from open spaces when you take them out for walks and take extra care.
Roundworms
Roundworms are one of the most common types of worms found in the intestines of dogs. Two major types of roundworms are found: Toxascaris Leonina and Toxocara Canis (T. Canis). The T.Canis is commonly found in puppies, and it can easily get transferred to humans. Many puppies have had roundworms since birth which they obtain from their dam. Hence, puppies must be provided with proper veterinary care.
When your dog is young, choose to deworm them every few weeks for best results. Also, to prevent heartworms, you should give them proper medication. You should also keep them away from small, wild animals to prevent the development of roundworms in them.
Hookworms
Another common type of worm is found in dogs. They are intestinal parasites that can cause anemia in dogs and are fatal for puppies if you leave them untreated in them. Numerous kinds of hookworms can infect dogs. The Hookworms are very small in size, only about ⅛ of an inch, but they can feed on large amounts of blood from the dogs if they stick to the intestinal wall.
They develop hookworms when they eat infected dirt, lick the dirt from their paws, or sniff dogs’ infected feces. You should be careful about the symptoms of developing hookworms and get them diagnosed at the earliest.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are another parasite that dogs usually develop in their intestines when they eat infected fleas or consume wild animals infested with tapeworms or fleas. After the dog consumes the flea, the egg of tapeworms hatches, and they get attached to the intestinal lining of dogs. The tapeworms can easily pass from fleas to dogs, thereby giving another reason why you should take tapeworm prevention seriously.
If you notice signs of tapeworm in your dog’s stool or find them scooting on the ground, you should choose to get them diagnosed for all possible infections and worms. If your vet finds a positive sign of tapeworms, they will recommend a regime and drug for your dog to get rid of it.
Heartworms
Out of all the other kinds of worms found in dogs, heartworms are the most worrisome and most preventable. The mosquitoes transmit this parasite, and because keeping your dogs away from mosquitoes every time is nearly impossible, vets suggest regular preventatives. This will help keep your dog safe from heartworms.
The heartworms grow and multiply within the heart of your dog, and they may cause serious lung diseases, organ damage, heart failure, etc. In some cases, that may get fatal and cause deaths as well. Preventing heartworm development is the best solution since its treatment is expensive and lengthy. Hence, it is recommended that you take them for regular testing to ensure that matters don’t get worse.
Summary
As a dog owner, you should be vigilant and aware of all warning signs that your dog is showing. Take those signs seriously since they may depict that your dog is developing worms. Flea control, cleaning dog waste, and preventative measures help keep your dog safe and healthy.
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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