There are several different types of worms or internal parasites that your dog can easily pick up and routine worming is the only way to prevent these internal parasites, including heartworm, from becoming a serious problem. Worms themselves are not usually fatal, however if the dog has any other health problem even a mild infestation of worms can make the side effects and risks for the dog's health much more pronounced.
Common Worms
There most common types of worms found in dogs are also found in many other species as well. Not all worms can be transferred from one species to another, but some can. In addition some worms that your dog may get can be transferred to humans, often with very serious health risks for the people.
The common intestinal worms and internal worms found in dogs include:
- Roundworms
Most puppies will have roundworms either from drinking the mother's milk that contains roundworm larvae or from contact with fecal material that has worm eggs. Roundworms are not usually a life-threatening problem but they can cause a pot bellied appearance, poor growth, anemia and dehydration from diarrhea. Roundworms can often be seen in the puppy's or dog's fecal material as they are very long, white and look somewhat like cooked spaghetti. Roundworms can measure several inches long and are very easily spread in kennels and other areas where dogs are around each other, particularly around soil where contaminated dogs have been. - Whipworms
These are very tiny worms that get into the dog's system by the dog eating the eggs of the parasite. Typically this happens when the eggs, left in the soil, are trapped in the hair on the dog's foot. When licked, they enter the system and mature, further producing eggs that pass out with the fecal material and continue the cycle. Whipworms aren't usually a problem in healthy dogs but they will cause anemia, vomiting and diarrhea so they need to be treated. - Hookworms
Hookworms are similar to whipworms in that they can be picked up by the dog in the soil, however the larvae actually burrow through the skin and migrate through the body to the digestive system. They cause the same symptoms as whipworms, although they are often more problematic. Hookworms can also burrow into the skin of humans, resulting in painful rashes known as creeping eruptions or cutaneous larva migrans. Routine worming of your dog is the only way to keep these worms from posing a risk to humans that may walk barefoot through the yard or grass. - Heartworms
Unlike the other worms heartworms can, in relatively uncommon situations, become fatal. They migrate through the body to the heart and lungs where they eventually block the respiratory and circulatory systems, especially if the dog becomes ill or stressed. Heartworms are transferred to the dog through flea bites, so routine flea treatment and vet testing for heartworm is important.
Talk to your vet about routine worming programs as well as good hygiene to keep your pet safe from these parasites. Many of the new topical flea treatments now include worming medications that treat the common parasites as well as heartworms.
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