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Dog Worms
Dog
worms (canine intestinal parasites) are an unavoidable fact of dog
ownership. Dogs usually co-exist with the parasitic population in a
state of balance that is maintained by an immunity they develop after 6
months of
age. During times of stress however this immunity can break down and
activate the normally dormant larvae in a dog's intestinal tract,
creating a "perfect storm" environment for worm infestation.
Common stressers are pregnancy, surgery, severe
illness, trauma or emotional upset; such as travel, a change of home or
family, additional family members such as new babies or even new dogs.
This page describes dog worms and the health issues
they create as well as how to treat your dog, keeping him or her
worm-free.
Preventing Worms
There are many steps you can take to help prevent the dog worm cycle,
proper hygiene usually eliminates 90% of the problem.
- Keep them flea free. Most tape worm infections
are created through your dog swallowing an infected flea during their
normal grooming process.
- Prevent them from hunting mice, rabbits and other
rodents as eating uncooked meat and/or raw game is another source of
contamination.
- Keep the yard clean, the grass cut low and water
minimally. Intestinal parasites thrive in soil contaminated by
pet feces. Clean up pet feces every day so that they don't have a
chance to contaminate the soil.
- Create a place for your dog to eliminate that is
either concrete or gravel and teach your dog to go there rather on the
grass if possible and sanitize this area regularly.
Types of Worms
The most common worms are listed below divided into two categories;
those you can see evidence of in your dog's stool and those you can not.
Worms You Can See
Worms You Can't See
- Hookworms
- Heartworms
- Whipworms
- Threadworms
- Lungworms
- Lung Flukes
What can happen to my dog if untreated?
Dog worm infestations can cause bloody diarrhea, anemia, weight loss and
emaciation, progressive weakness, malnutrition, exercise intolerance,
lung cysts and collapsed lung, vomiting, coughing, gagging, abdominal
pain, jaundice, kidney failure and in some cases death.
In addition to these many symptoms which over time degrade your dog's
level of health even when mild; many of the worms that infect dogs also
infect humans. A disease that passes from animals to humans is called
zoonotic. Many worms fit this category, so it is important for
families (especially those with young children) to keep their canine
companion worm-free...for their dog's health as well as their own.
Worming Treatments (Deworming Your Dog)
There are many medications available for worming your dog, some are
taken monthly such as heartworm, others are taken based on fecal exams
or on a regular schedule.
Dog worming meds are poisons designed to kill the worm by creating a
hostile environment of its host; your dog. Your dog's immune system
has to resist the toxicity of the dewormer and for this reason my
opinion rests in the less is more approach to ridding dogs of
intestinal parasites. My goal is too use the least amount of
medication needed to accomplish the end result...a worm-free dog.
Heartworm Prevention
Heartworm medications here in the US require a
prescription and
can be costly unless you know how to get around it. I outline how to
do this on the heartworm prevention page.
Sanitizing
After Worm Infestation
Return
From Dog Worms back to Skip the Vet
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