Various Types of Worms

Various Types of Worms​

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Worms are an ugly fact of pet ownership; vigilence and proper treatment can minimize or (in some cases) prevent infestations. Daily removal of feces from your dog's exercise area is of key consideration; when walking your dog away from home do not allow him to investigate the droppings of other animals. Use the baggies a good owner always has on hand to pick up and dispose of his (or any other) droppings. Use appropriate vermicides in your yard only if necessary, and then under the advice of your vet. Routinely present fecal samples at exam time, and any time a case of worms is suspected.

The presence of worms can cause any one (or any combination) of the following symptoms: diarrhea (perhaps bloody); weight loss; dry hair & skin; a general poor appearance; a tendency to pot~belly; and sometimes vomiting (in which there ~may~ be worms). However, a healthy dog in good condition is not usually severely compromised by the occasional infestation, and may not show any signs of worms. Prevention is important in maintaining a healthy pet; specific diagnosis of worm types are necessary because different worms respond to different medications. Never combine worm medications, and if your dog is on heartworm preventative medication consult your vet prior to any further treatment or medications.



Roundworms

Which came first? The chicken? Or the egg? It is a similar riddle with roundworm. Roundworm is by far the most common of the parasitic worms infecting canines. Because roundworm can be ingested from contaminated soil ~or~ transmitted from bitch to puppy, there are very few dogs who have not had an active case in their lifetime. In the intestine of the dog the female roundworm can grow up to 7 inches long and produce up to 200,000 hard shelled eggs per day which can exist in the ground for years.

Once a roundworm egg has entered your puppy's intestine it hatches and the resultant larvae is carried to the lungs through the bloodstream. The larva then crawls up the windpipe and is swallowed, returning to the intestine to grow into an adult, or it can encyst itself in tissue and lay dormant for varying periods of time. Times of stress seem to activate the encysted larvae and treatment is then required (there is no effective treatment for the egg or encysted larval stages). The latter stages of pregnancy are a time of great stress on the system and many puppies contract the roundworm from their mother inutero or through her milk. It is for this reason that many Breeders routinely deworm their dogs (puppies and all) after litters, especially if all the dogs share the same outdoor yard. Deworming the pregnant bitch will not prevent the passing of the worms to puppies and it is therefore advisable to wait until after delivery and treat everyone altogether. Roundworm treatment for the puppies can be as early as 4-6 weeks and is a different medication from that prescribed for the adult dogs.

Roundworms can be seen in the stool (or sometimes vomit) of your dog and looks similar to bean sprouts or spaghetti. Puppies with untreated roundworm can exhibit a pot~bellied look and will generally appear not to thrive. Roundworm is treated simply with oral dewormers. Because dewormer is a type of poison, and dosages must precisely calculated, it is most advisable to obtain it from your vet.

Whipworms

Whipworms are difficult to see with the naked eye; they look somewhat like strands of thread with one end enlarged. They live in the large intestine of the dog. Because heavy infestations are uncommon, a fecal float may not reveal the presence of eggs and repeated exams may be necessary to complete the diagnosis.



Hookworms

Hookworms are contracted similarly to roundworm through contaminated soil, or from the mother inutero or passed through her milk. They are small, thin worms that grow to adulthood in the intestine where they fasten to the wall and suck blood. Although a severe hookworm infestation can kill a puppy, chronic hookworm infection is usually not a problem in the older dog. Symptoms of infestation include diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and progressive weakness.


Tapeworms

Tapeworms are transmitted by the dog ingesting a flea or feeding from contaminated meat (as in dogs who hunt or enjoy carcasses). The tapeworm is common in areas where flea control is a challenge. Infested animals shed tapeworm segments which can be found in their stool or stuck in the hair around their anus. Dried tapeworm segments look like grains of rice. The flat segment is actually a muscular egg sac, and for a short time after it is shed it lives and wiggles around spreading the eggs. The eggs are then eaten by fleas, the fleas are eaten by the dog, and so it goes. Tapeworm is not killed by over the counter medications; see your vet for effective prescription medications such as Droncit Rx, or Cestex Rx.



Heartworms

Heartworm microfilaria are passed to the dog through mosquito bites; they are carried to the heart via the bloodstream where they grow and multiply. Untreated cases of heartworm kill the dog by literally clogging the heart with sheer numbers. Heartworm formulations like Heartguard Plus are given once monthly and have the added advantage of being a broad spectrum dewormer. They are not timed release or long acting (the ingredients clear the body in about 72 hours) and they kill all stages of the heartworm's life under about 45 days. In other words, the administration of the monthly medication kills all the larvae accumulated in the 30 days prior. Daily heartworm medication works quite differently and must be given at the same time daily; it kills only one stage of larvae life and so must be present in the body at that time to be effective.
Heartworms take about 6 months to mature but, although they are a serious health problem, there is now treatment and hope for infested dogs. Dogs undergoing treatment for heartworm infestation are injected with a strong drug that kills the heartworms; it is necessary to repeat this treatment more than once so that the dog's life will not be threatened by the death of all the worms at once (passing the dead worms out of the heart is traumatic to the body and large masses of dead worms could cause heart failure). It is crucial to success that dogs undergoing the treatment be kept cool at all times and free from all physical exertion.


Ringworm


Ringworm is not really a worm at all, actually it is a fungal infection. Small, oval lesions ~may~ appear on the skin surface and there ~may~ be some hair loss, but symptoms are not always so apparent. A Woods flourescent test of suspected areas may indicate the need for a more definitive culture of the hair shafts. If this is not conclusive it may be necessary to do some skin scrapings to check for parasites.

Ringworm is contagious, so it is important to start a course of oral medication to reduce the possibility of contagion as quickly as possible. This in conjunction with topical medications and anti-fungal baths will make your pet more comfortable. Launder bedding, etc. in hot water and bleach; a dilute mixture of bleach should be used on countertops, floors, and dog dishes, etc., to kill residual spores. Frequent vacuuming (and immediate disposal of vacuum bags) for several weeks will reduce further the amount of fungal spores in the environment.





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