Puppy Worms
Fundamentals of Fighting Puppy Worms
Puppy worms are parasitic creatures that can cause significant discomfort and illness in your dog. The most commonly seen puppy worms are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms and heartworms.
Most often these worms are found in the intestinal tracts of the puppy and they live of the puppy’s food source and prevent the dog from getting all the nutrition it needs. Worms tend to reproduce rapidly and so what starts of as one or two worms can become a major infestation very quickly and so dog owners should act on any suspicion of worms promptly.
Here are the most common types of puppy worms and the symptoms associated with them:
Roundworms: These common puppy worms are usually transmitted to the puppy from the mother. You have to be rigorous in maintaining high levels of hygiene to make sure there is no spreading of these roundworms at home and note that these worms are transmitted through feces. Puppies with roundworms start to look gaunt and thin and also develop a swollen looking tummy. The coat of a dog with roundworms is found to lose its sheen and healthy appearance. Where the infestation is particularly strong, the dog may start to have diarrhea and vomiting.
Tapeworms: Fleas spread tapeworms which are usually shed through a puppy’s feces again. These worms are described as looking like small grains of rice. It is not easy to detect these worms in the stool and a test maybe necessary to confirm their presence. While most common tapeworms are not dangerous or transmitted easily, there are varieties that can be very harmful to puppies and people and again it is critical to maintain high-hygiene standards. Given that fleas are the source of these worms, a flea prevention treatment can go a long way in avoiding tapeworms.
Hookworms: Hookworms are known to prefer warm climatic conditions and there are actually four different types of these puppy worms. The larva of the hookworm enters the dog by penetrating it through the skin and is transmitted via feces or the soil which can be infected. People can also be infected by hookworms. Hookworms are known to cause anemia and a dog with these puppy worms may have diarrhea or pneumonia.
Whipworms: Whipworms enter the puppy world through infected feces or soil and while one does not hear much of these worms they are not uncommon. These worms may need to be tackled at different stages of their development and so a multi-level treatment is likely to be recommended by your veterinarian.
Heartworms: This is the most dangerous of the puppy worms and it affects the puppy’s heart. Heartworms can be fatal to a puppy. Mosquitoes are the carriers of these worms and as heartworms are not easy to spot, regular veterinary visits are the best way deal with these worms. It is possible to treat a dog infected by these parasites if doctors do find them early.
Staying aware of puppy worms and being alert in responding to threat of these worms will help your dog’s health immensely. The good news with regards to puppy worms is that there are medicines to deal with them. It is important to take the advice of your vet in dealing with worms in your pet as prescription medicines are found to be more effective than over-the-counter de-worming kits. Some puppies may have a reaction to the de-worming medication and if you find your puppy excreting worms in the stool and if there is some vomiting, it is actually a sign of the medication being effective. While these reactions to de-worming medication may cause short-term discomfort to your puppy, this is far safer for your pet than letting the worms settle down in the body.