DOG INTESTINAL PARASITE PROBLEMS

Intestinal parasites do not usually cause the dog any problems but the most common internal parasite is the roundworm which is also harmful to humans. For this reason alone, we should ensure that our dogs are routinely wormed. Dogs are also hosts to another parasite the tapeworm that can also be passed on to humans. In addition to these, dogs can contract more serious parasites, the intestinal hookworm and whipworm or by microscopic parasites that cause diarrhoea.

Your dogs diet is important and there are sites that can give you free dog food samples for your dog to try.
 
Roundworm

Roundworms are curled, round pink-white worms and are passed on because the worms cause the dogs to vomit or have diarrhoea. Puppies are most at risk because they contract the worm from their mothers while still in their wombs and when they are born they will have mature worms in their stomachs by the age of two weeks. The infected puppy will have a dull coat and pot bellied appearance and be underweight.

Treatment

All puppies should be routinely wormed from two weeks old and all pregnant bitches should be wormed under veterinary supervision. It is impossible to tell if your dog is suffering from roundworm so all adult dogs should be wormed every three months.
 
  Tapeworms

It is normally impossible to tell if your dog has tapeworm. The abdomen could be swollen but the easiest way to tell is if you find small, dried, egg sacks like grains of rice in the anal hair. The worms can also be seen in the faeces. If your dog eats the carcasses of dead animals such as sheep, he can contract tapeworms or also if he eats a flea containing a worm egg.

Treatment

Tapeworms can be prevents by controlling the fleas. Ensure your dog does not eat offal or animal carcasses especially in countries where there are large populations of sheep. Echinococcus disease can be contracted from infected sheep carcasses.

Whipworms

Whipworms can cause diarrhoea with enough blood lost to produce anaemia. They are more common in young dogs in warm climates in unhygienic conditions. They can make a dog drag its rear along the ground because they cause the dog irritation. The worms can grow to 6 cm in size.

Treatment

Whipworms eggs that are shed on the ground can live for up to a year. They are hard to cure because they are resistant to many drugs, but your vet must be consulted as he will be able to find a suitable treatment.

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Hookworm

These worms are microscopic and live off the blood in the small intestine. They can cause diarrhoea and anaemia and are most common in unhygienic conditions.

Treatment

Your vet can give you medication for your dog and your dog's hygiene should be improved.

Giardia canis

Giardia canis is a parasite that dogs and humans can contract from contaminated water. It causes diarrhoea streaked with blood and mucus. Some dogs can get this parasite from the contaminated droppings of animals such as beavers.

Giardia canis cannot be destroyed by normal drugs but the vet can test the dogs faeces and give the dog a course of suitable medication.

Babesia

Babesia is a parasite transmitted to the dog by tick bites. It causes the symptoms of anaemia, lethargy, vomiting and liver problems.

Treatment

Your vet can test for the parasite by a simple blood test and prescribe suitable medication.

Coccidia

Coccidia is a parasite most common in younger dogs that are kept in crowded conditions.

Treatment

Your vet will test the dogs faeces and will treat the dog with sulpha drugs.

Toxoplasma gondii

This parasite can cause breathing difficulties, muscle weakness and diarrhoea. Dogs become infected by eating dead animals contaminated with the cysts of protozoan toxoplasma or from eating contaminated cat faeces.

Treatment

Toxoplasma is a public health hazard and treatment is difficult as it doesn't respond to certain drugs. If you clean the cat litter trays regularly you will reduce the risk of infection.

 

 

 
 
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