How to Deal With Worms

Dogs and cats are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common being roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.  Roundworms and tapeworms are the only 2 seen in stools by the eye. Also they are of a  whitish appearance when fresh. All you might see in the stool or attached to the fur would be the small segments that detach from the end of the

tapeworm... Hooks and whips are so small that they seldom are seen in the stool. That's why it is a good idea to take a sample of your pets stool to the vet to determine what worms they may have.

Most worm infestations can cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhoea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting. Some infestations cause few or no symptoms,  in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the dog's body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.

Early diagnosis for the presence and type of intestinal parasite is very important. A small amount of the stool is mixed with a special solution to make the microscopic eggs more visible. If a cat has roundworms your Vet will want to prescribe a certain kind of medication specific for the elimination of roundworms. If tapeworms are present, a different wormer will be used. Not all worms respond to the same treatment and no single wormer works against all kinds of parasites. With good petcare you will be able to pick up the signs of worm infestation.

Your Vet will have available  the best kinds of wormer's for the particular type of parasite your pet has.  Stool samples should be taken if you are unsure of worm eggs or if worms are suspected. Many Vets include the stool check as part of the annual health examination.

Remove dog faeces from your gardens if not daily make sure you do it at least weekly. Always use the correct wormer under veterinary supervision, have the dog's faeces checked frequently if they suffer persistently. Do not mix wormer's and do not use a wormer if your dog is currently taking any other medication without consulting your Vet.

Some Vets will prescribe worming treatments on a routine basis all year long. Generally, prescription wormer's will be safer and
more effective (although often more expensive) than over-the-counter worm medications.

When walking the dog in a public place always carry a small plastic bag and remove all faeces so that the dog does not contribute to contamination of soil. Your Dog or Cat might appear to be free of worms. However, it's a good idea to keep your dog and cat as worm-free as possible so that if disease or stresses do occur, the pet has greater reserves and defences to handle the crisis

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Tapeworms

An intestinal parasite, the tapeworm, is transmitted to dogs and cats that hunt and eat wildlife or rodents infested with tapeworms or fleas. If you were to see an entire tapeworm you would notice that they are arranged with a small head at one end and many tiny brick-like repeating segments making up the rest of the worm. There are generally two types that infest dogs and cats; tapeworms can reach 4 to 6 inches in length within the intestine. It is the last segments in the chain that are released from the worm that can be seen in the dog or cats' stools, attached to the fur under the pet's tail.

Hookworms

They are more common in dogs than cats. Small thin worms that attach themselves to the wall of the small intestine and such the hosts blood. They can be picked up from faeces, from their mothers uterus through migration or ingestion eggs after their birth, like roundworms they can be passed through the mothers milk. A severe case can cause death through anaemia, weight loss
diarrhoea, which all cause weakness.

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