Health problems occur in every living being on earth and dogs are no different. Dogs suffer from a range of health issues, just like us. And one serious health problem a dog can encounter is worms. The worms dogs can cause grave matters to their health and transmit to humans as well.
Dogs suffer from some severe types of worms like roundworm, ringworm, tapeworm, heartworm, and hookworm. It is essential to know more about how dogs get worms, as it can even cause the death of your dogs.
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Infection Through Paws
We all like to take a walk and stroll around parks and natural places with our dogs. You may think it’s the best way to get closer to your dog through a fun frisbee fetching session, but it’s no totally a great idea. The place can be full of hookworm. Unknown to you, hookworms can enter through dog’s paws with relative ease while your dog is strolling.
The worms might even leave an entry wound in his paws. Be sure to check between the paws for red entry spots or infected pus holes after a walk outside. This way, you will be sure no hookworm has entered your dog’s system. Smaller puppies and young dogs are more prone to attacks from hookworms than adult dogs.
What About Licking
Licking is another way through which worms may attack your dogs. The worm eggs can remain in the soil and other places for an extended period. You never know when your dog may come into contact with these small microscopic eggs. Such eggs can stick along their furs, coats, paws and other body parts. Even worse, the dog may ingest the eggs while licking their furs clean. Likewise, your dog may carry a habit of licking items out of inquisition.
The poop of wild boars, coyotes and other wild animals in barns or open spaces can contaminate the soil with worm eggs. If your dog licks dirt or items out of inquisition around such wild animal poop, he is bound to get infested. Be it roundworm, hookworm, or tapeworm, one thing is for sure; they will infest and ravage your dog’s system. This could include his intestines, brain, lungs and other internal organs. Thus, train your dog from an early age not to lick unknown material and soil.
Dogs Can Also Get Works From Their Mother
One of the other typical means through which dogs contract worms is from their parent. If a pregnant female dog is already carrying infectious worm, the puppies, when born, will also get worm infection. Roundworms are the most common parasites that puppies get from their mothers even before their birth. Also, they can also get worms from drinking their mother milk.
The pups may contract these harmful organisms from their parent feces as well. Since puppies and young dogs are more vulnerable to diseases and infections, you need to take proper preventive measures. If you suspect your dogs have worms, give them medication for deworming or take them for a further veterinary checkup. If you don’t, they could have severe internal problems and even die young.
Flea
Dogs can have a lot of fleas in their body if they do not stay under hygienic conditions. Since dogs feed on tapeworm eggs, these fleas are indeed the primary cause for the transfer of tapeworms between one dog to another. Usually, it happens when either a flea bites the dog or the dog eats them while grooming. In both cases, canines are likely to contract tapeworms.
The worms that enter your dog’s body are often immature, and start to grow inside his intestine. As a result, the infection causes irritation and itchiness around the rear end of the dog. If a dog suffers from tapeworm, an injection or tablet can help to get rid of it. However, we need to control the flea issue to make sure our canine companions don’t contract tapeworms.
Infection Through Hunting
Hunters and farmers often employ hunting dogs in a bid to control pest population as well as acquire some game meat. While you may enjoy selling the fur of such wild animals or eating cooked meat, your dog could suffer from worms. Wild animals and pests contain worms of various breeds that are harmful to both humans and dogs.
For example, the boar carries several parasite and worm eggs in its body. While you are shooting or chasing the wild boar, the dog is biting the animal and contaminating itself with blood full of worm eggs. Similarly, you may use dogs to kill pests like rats and rabbits, but the blood-sucking insects in these animals carry worms. The dog may come in contact with the insects that generally infest these animals and suffer from worm through ticks or fleas. Thus, it is advised to take hunting dogs to the vets as frequently as possible.
Animal Stool
The most common way of worm infection among dogs is undoubtedly the act of feeding on feces. Dogs tend to eat animal stool due to various reasons such as underfeeding, cleanliness, stress and so on. This behavior exposes them to many diseases and infections related to worms.
Roundworm, as well as tapeworm and hookworm, are few common worms which can get into the dog’s body through feces. To prevent dogs from eating stool, you should insist on cleanliness and proper nutrition. You can also train them to stay away from other animals feces to minimize the possibility of worm infections.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes transmit some of the most dangerous worms on this list. The six inches long heartworm infection cannot be diagnosed until the very last stage. Heartworms infest the heart and major blood vessels. Their eggs are transmitted by mosquitoes which grow in oak tree holes.
We have our forelimbs and protective clothing to defend ourselves from these dangerous mosquitoes and parasite. However, dogs do not have hands that can kill these mosquitoes. Thus, we must take all precautionary measures to ensure they stay safe from these invasive worms. You can tackle heartworm infestation during the early stages of using preventive medicines. Sadly, it’s generally untreatable if you discover it in the later phases. Therefore, the only solution is to ensure regular visits to the vet’s clinic.
Conclusion
Worms can be a serious hazard to your lovely dogs and may cause their early death if you do not treat them in time. In the worst case scenario, these infestations may transmit to your small kids. Therefore, regular check-ups are the way to go if you wish to keep them at bay.
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