In addition to roundworms and tapeworms, canine hookworms are also common parasites. These internal parasites are about three millimeters long, but suck a lot of blood. They live in the small intestine and attach themselves to the walls using their teeth. Although these worms can affect grown dogs, they usually affect puppies and can be fatal in some cases.
Transmission
Hookworms can infect your dog in a variety of ways. Some dogs ingest them by licking or swallowing infected soil. The worms can also penetrate your dog's body through his skin. The mother can also pass them to her puppies through her placenta. After birth, the mother can pass them along through her milk.
Symptoms
Hookworms in dogs causes a variety of symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms include bloody diarrhea and weakness. The larvae can also penetrate deeply into the skin. This will cause your dog a lot of discomfort due to the itching that results. Severe cases of canine hookworms can also cause anemia. In this case, you will notice your dog's gums will appear pale.
Diagnosis
Hookworms are capable of producing a large amount of eggs every day. Females can produce up to 20,000 on a daily basis. An infestation can be diagnosed through a stool sample. However, an analysis of the stool will only show problems if there is a large infestation. Therefore, this method of diagnosis is less reliable in young puppies.
Treatment
Hookworms in dogs can easily be treated using deworming medication. The medication can be administered either orally or by injection. After the first treatment, some worms will grow from larvae into adults. Therefore, treatment will have to be repeated in approximately one month to kill the new adult worms. As mentioned earlier, canine hookworms can cause anemia. Therefore, some dogs may also need a blood transfusion.
If you have a young puppy, then you should especially be wary of hookworms and the damage they can cause. There are also various other conditions that can affect your beloved pet such as canine lymphoma and canine arthritis . So, stop by dog-illnesses.com today to learn about some of the most common diseases that can affect your dog.
The author of this article has chosen to make this article available with free reprint rights. Click here to copy this article.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
