Dogs Health - Parasites Control

Parasites can be classified either as external or internal parasites.

External Parasites

FLEAS
Fleas can cause a widespread allergic skin irritation in your dog. Moreover, the ubiquitous flea is part of the life cycle of the tapeworm, so apart from his external problems with fleas, your dog may develop internal parasites as well.

Fleas are happy on other hosts and that may be you! It's always appreciated that fleas spend a lot of time off the dog and they'll snuggle happily into carpets, baseboards, bedding and so on. So you'll have to de-flea not only the dog but also his environment too.

You can often see the fleas (brownish jumping creatures) running around a light colored dog or, more easily, spot their faeces (black specs) in the fur. To deter them, dust the dog with flea powder or use an aerosol. Start at the dog’s extremities and work towards the middle and brush out when the treatment has been applied to the entire dog. Treat regularly to prevent them moving back in! This should include bathing the dog with a combined shampoo/flea control product as well using a flea powder, spray or flea collar. The dog's bedding should also be treated. All instructions should be followed carefully and only those products intended for dogs should be useful. If an irritation persists, then the owner should take the dog to the veterinarian.

TICKS
Ticks can be a problem during the summer months especially for those living near bush land. If left untreated ticks can make your dog very sick, and in some cases can even be fatal.

Ticks that are feeding on a dog look like small grayish warts with tiny legs at the head end. Upon becoming fully engorged they can grow up to one centimeter long and become reddish colored.

Remove ticks with tweezers but ensure you pull the tick out whole. If you suspect your dog has become sick due to ticks, take him to a Veterinarian as soon as possible.

INTERNAL PARASITES

THE ROUNDWORM
Dogs are easily infected with roundworm from their environment, which is often contaminated from other dogs. Puppies are almost invariably born with roundworm infections acquired from their mother during pregnancy. Because of the particular action of this worm, it is very difficult to prevent infection being passed from mother to puppy. However, the problem can be greatly reduced by regularly worming the mother. Worm prior to mating, during pregnancy and while nursing pups, paying particular attention to hygiene. Also start treatment of puppies at an early age.
A heavy infestation of roundworms can make a puppy feel very unwell, with symptoms including coughing, irregularity of bowels, vomiting, pot belly and diarrhea. The worms are grayish white in color and in shape resemble a common earth worm. They can occasionally be seen in the puppy's droppings after worming, but are more usually seen when vomited.

THE HOOKWORM
Although much smaller than the roundworm, the hookworm can have a serious effect on your dog's health. It occurs in the intestine and actually lives on blood, and for this reason a severe infection can cause anemia, weakness and even death of your pet.

Regular treatment of this dangerous worm is vital, as re-infection can occur rapidly and very easily especially during warm humid times of the year and it can be readily passed through milk from mother to puppy.

THE WHIPWORM
Named whipworm because of its resemblance to a stock whip, this worm is only a problem to dogs over 12 weeks of age. Infected dogs periodically develop an unpleasantly smelly diarrhea, which may include blood flecks and may even cause death. The worm is passed via the dog's droppings, and the eggs remain capable of infecting your pet for very long periods.

THE FLEA TAPEWORM
The flea tapeworm infects 70% of dogs. As the name implies, this worm goes through a development stage in the flea. Infection occurs when your dog grooms itself and swallows an infected flea.

This worm is picked up when fleas are common during the warmer months. Irritation to your pet produces "scooting" (rubbing their bottom on the ground). The most effective treatment is to keep your pet free of both fleas and worms.
Pups should be wormed every fourteen days until twelve weeks of age and then monthly until six months. An adult dog should be wormed at least every three months. The feeding of garlic is highly recommended in the control of worms.

HEARTWORM
Heartworm, as the name implies is caused by is a worm called Dirofilaria immitis. The heartworms are found in the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary arteries. The female worm may be up to a foot long; the male is about half that size. One dog may have dozens of worms. Heartworms live up to five years and during this time the females produce millions of larvae called microfilaria. These microfilaria live in the bloodstream, and may be concentrated in the spleen. The larvae go through a series of molts on their way to becoming an adult heartworm. One of the molts occurs in the salivary gland of the mosquito. Larvae cannot complete their entire life cycle in the dog; they must pass through a mosquito on their way to becoming an adult heartworm. Many species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworms. The female mosquito bites the infected dog and ingests the microfilariae during a blood meal. The microfilariae develop in the mosquito into the infective stage. The microfilariae are now called infective larvae. At this stage of development they will grow to adulthood when they are passed to a dog. The infective larvae enter the bloodstream of the dog when the mosquito bites it. They grow to adulthood in two to three months and start reproducing, thereby completing the life cycle. It only takes one mosquito carrying larvae to infect a dog with this potentially fatal disease.

Canine heartworm disease occurs worldwide. In the United States, it was once limited to the South. Due to our increased mobility, and people vacationing and wintering in infected areas the problem is now seen wherever there are mosquitoes.

Adult worms restrict the blood flow leaving the heart. They also interfere with the heart valves. The net effect is to reduce circulation to the vital organs. This leads to organ failure and ultimately death. Dogs infected with heartworms do not show signs right away. By the time symptoms develop, the disease is well advanced. The symptoms depend on the number of heartworms present, the duration of the infection, and the extent of damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

Most dogs with heartworm disease have a chronic, dry cough. You may also notice your pet has shortness of breath, weakness, and loss of stamina. The symptoms may be worse following exertion or excitement. The diagnosis of heartworm disease needs to be made by your veterinarian.

Heartworm disease is treated using a drug called caparsolate. This compound contains arsenic, and can be quite toxic to some dogs. The goal is to give enough of the drug to kill the heartworms, but not harm the dog. Caparsolate treatment is widely used and can be safely given if the animal is healthy in all other respects. A newer drug called Immiticide is now available. This compound appears to be safer than caparsolate for some dogs. Both treatment options usually require the dog to be hospitalized for a few days.

Nevertheless, the golden rule of prevention is better than cure should always be adhered to. Medications such as heartgard are available to help prevent your dog from being infected with heartworm.