A Guide To Worms In Dogs
Dog owners should be familiar with the risks of worms in dogs; not only to themselves but to other people too. Worms in dogs are internal parasites which can lead to ill health in dogs as well as humans.
Although worms in dogs can be damaging, there are often no outward signs of ill health until the worms are already damaging the dog’s health. Worms in dogs are undoubtedly hard to spot but look out for vomiting and diarrhoea as well as general loss of condition.There are two types of worms in dogs: roundworms and tapeworms.
Roundworms
Roundworms, which are very pale white or beige coloured, look as though they are coiled in the shape of a spring and can grow as long as 100mm. You might be able to see them in your dog’s faeces or sick. The way in which dogs become infected with roundworms is by eating their larvae, allowing adult worms to develop inside the body. Later, new eggs are passed through the dog in his faeces, restarting the chain again. The most common form of roundworm, Toxocare Canis, sadly affects the health of people, and notably children. If children eggs through contact with, for example, contaminated soil, the resulting larvae can move through their bodies. Should the larvae reach the eyes, they have the potential to cause serious damage to the eyesight. This is just one of the reasons why it is so very important to clean up after your dog.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms look like flat segments filled with moving eggs which resemble grains of rice and which you may be able to see in your dog’s faeces or around his anus. Dogs become infected with tapeworms when they swallow fleas whilst grooming because fleas carry tapeworm larvae. Inside the dog, tapeworms can grow as long as 5m.
With worms in dogs, as with many conditions, it is true that prevention is better than cure. Therefore worming your dog every three months is important. Puppies should be wormed even more regularly than that. Many effective wormers are available from pet shops and veterinary surgeries at affordable prices: ask your vet for the most appropriate one.
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