Have you had your dog dewormed? Dogs can have five main types of intestinal worms. As an Australian pet owner, you want the best for your doggy. Thus, it’s important for him or her to get the vaccinations they need, as well as a dog wormer. If your dog is experiencing symptoms like dehydration, weight loss, and low-energy, there’s a chance they might need deworming. Here are some of the main kinds of intestinal parasites canines can get:
Tapeworms
Australia has about 90 types of flea species, so deworming is critical for this type of worm. Dogs can get these worms by eating infected fleas. They can also get tapeworms by eating wild animals with tapeworms.
When the dog eats a flea, the tapeworm egg then hatches in the dog’s intestines. One of the main dangers of tapeworms is doggies can sometimes pass them on to other canines. So it’s important for Australian dog owners to deal with these parasites effectively.
If you see your dog “scoot” across the floor, then this is a possible sign they have tapeworms.
Roundworms
These are among the most frequent types of intestinal worms that can infect dogs. There are two kinds of roundworms dogs can get, while T. canis is the most common in puppies and can be transmitted to humans. Puppies are often born with roundworms after getting them from their siblings.
It’s essential to treat pups for roundworms since they could be transmitted to humans. It’s better to use a wormer anyway to protect your pet dog.
Veterinarians diagnose roundworms from samples, then treat them with medicines. Over time roundworms can cause issues like slow growth among puppies.
Whipworms
This type of parasite lives in a section of the dog’s large intestine and colon. Canines can get whipworms when consuming infected substances like:
- Food
- Water
- Animal flesh
- Soil
While a whipworm’s lifespan is about one year, the eggs can live for a long time in a warm and moist environment. It’s one of the main reasons to clean up after your dog immediately to improve his/her health and sanitation.
In mild cases, whipworms might not cause symptoms. However, they can lead to various symptoms in severe cases. The symptoms include inflammation, diarrhea, weight loss, and occasionally anemia. It’s another reason to consider wormers for dogs.
Hookworms
These intestinal parasites can cause the condition of low red blood cells known as anemia. Hookworms can also become very dangerous for puppies if the condition isn’t treated soon.
Several types of hookworms can affect dogs. They’re only around 3mm long but they attach to the dog’s intestinal wall and consume lots of blood.
There are various ways dogs can get hookworms. The ways include mother’s milk or eating hookworm larvae from their surroundings. For example, they might eat dirt that contains the young hookworms, or lick their parasite-covered paws. The larvae can survive for many months in the soil after hatching.
Heartworms
This type of dog parasite is the most preventable yet problematic. Mosquitoes can transmit heartworms. Vets recommend heartworm treatments in part because mosquitoes are difficult to avoid altogether. Australia has 300+ mosquito species, according to the Australian government.
It’s important to deworm for this parasite since it can cause various organ damage like lung disease or heart failure. Heartworms are more common in particular regions with larger mosquito populations.
Prevention is important when dealing with heartworm parasites. The reason is preventatives don’t actually kill adult heartworms.
A dog wormer can help to treat and prevent a wide range of intestinal parasites. It’s important to find deworming treatments that are safe and effective for man’s best friend.
