Common Worms in Dogs
For our pets, worms in dogs are an everyday problems. In the UK there are two parasites which are most common known as the roundworm and the tapeworm. Roundworms are more of a problem for puppies and tapeworms for adult dogs. Here is an introduction to both.
Normally a puppy is infested with roundworms before it is even born, or shortly after it is born. They look a lot like very small lengths of spaghetti. When they have reached maturity, which happens quickly, they live in the intestines of the dog and feed off the contents. Feeding off the dog’s partially digested food means that the infested dog does not receive all the nutrients from what he eats. When it is possible for there to be dozens of worms present at once, it is easy to understand why undernourishment is a likely consequence of the infestation. Other possible symptoms include a dull coat, lethargy or vomiting and diarrhoea. Equally though, some infestations have no symptoms. In puppies, a distended abdomen is not uncommon. Because a serious infestation can cause intestinal blockage which can kill a puppy, it is reasonable to assume that all puppies are infested and to treat them accordingly.
Tapeworms are the other common type of worms in dogs which affect our pets in the UK. Looking a lot like ribbons, they are made up of segments. When the eggs stored in each segment have matured, they are passed via the dog’s anus into the environment. Tapeworms rely on another host animal so that they may complete their life cycle. Most commonly the intermediate animal is a flea, which ingests a worm egg and is subsequently accidentally swallowed by the dog. Once they reach adulthood, the tapeworm attaches itself to the lining of the intestine and feeds on the dog’s blood. This type of worms in dogs can therefore cause anaemia. Because of how a tapeworm’s life cycle works, it is just as important to treat them for fleas as it is to worm them.
Mail this post