Dogs and cats can be victims to several different intestinal parasites or worms, but roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms are the most common.
Below I've outlined the common intestinal parasites and facts to keep in mind for preventing parasites.
- Symptoms: Symptoms for intestinal parasites include but are not limited to diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, poor hair coat, listlessness, and anorexia.
- Tests: Testing for intestinal parasites is pretty simple. Take a small stool sample (a teaspoonful) to your veterinarian and ask for a fecal float test. Most veterinarians recommend the test as part of an annual exam. Roundworms and tapeworms can be seen in the stools but hookworms and whipworms are too tiny to be seen in the stools. That is why the test is important, it is used to find the microscopic eggs in the stools.
- Zoonosis: Zoonotic disease refers to disease spread from animal to human. Parasites can also be spread to humans. Children are at risk while going barefoot or playing in the sand box. Talk to your medical doctor to learn more about treatment and prevention.
- Roundworms: Roundworms are very common in puppies and kittens. They will often cause a pot-bellied appearance. They can be seen in vomit and stool but not seeing them doesn't mean they are not there. Roundworms can also infest adult dogs and cats and be passed to puppies and kittens during pregnancy. T he worm can also be passed to the puppies and kittens through the mothers milk. The eggs from the adult worms are passed in the stool and can re-infest the puppy or kitten or can infest other dogs and cats.
- Hookworms: Hookworms are blood suckers. A severe infestation can cause anemia and actually kill a puppy or kitten. In adults hookworms can make the animal weak and have poor stamina. Dogs and cats get hookworms from soil that has been contaminated or from ingesting eggs in the milk of a nursing mother.
- Whipworms: Whipworms are not passed to offspring in the mothers milk. Dogs have to eat the eggs to get whips. Whipworm eggs can live in the soil for years, if an animal walks over the infested soil and licks its paws or if the eggs get on a toy that the animal picks up then the animal can swallow the whipworm eggs. The eggs are resistant to freezing temperatures but not sunlight. You have to clean really well to get rid of whipworms, keep outside dogs in concrete runs for this reason. If your dog gets a whipworm infestation, it is best to throw away toys and bowls. Also, move your outside dog to a different area in the yard to get away from the eggs in the soil. Humans can not get whips, they only like canines, you are safe from this one.
- Tapeworms: Dogs and cats usually get tapeworms from ingesting fleas while grooming themselves. The tapeworm is released from the digested flea and attaches itself to the intestine and starts absorbing nutrients. You know your pet has tapeworms when you see tiny segments that look like a grain of rice around the rectum of your pet. You might also see them in the stools.
- De-wormers: It is important to know what kind of parasite your pet has so you can de-worm accordingly. De-wormers will generally not kill all parasites so it is important to use the right one. If you keep your pet on monthly heartworm preventative your pet should be protected against most of the intestinal parasites. Just one more good reason to use heartworm prevention.
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The copyright of the article Intestinal Worms/Parasites in Pets in Pet Care is owned by Charla Dawson. Permission to republish Intestinal Worms/Parasites in Pets in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
