Dog Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal parasites may cause bloody stools and diarrhea. Probably because of their toxins, even roundworms cause profuse diarrhea in puppies. Hookworms, which are like little leeches, draw large amounts of blood, living on the serum and letting the red cells loose in the intestine. They are the worst kind of worm when it comes to the production of bloody stools. Coccidia is protozoa that, because of their great numbers and consequent damage to the intestinal wall, produce bloody diarrhea. These conditions are easy to cure by the simple procedures of eliminating worms and waiting for the body to build up its immunity against coccidia.
There are several forms of dog intestinal parasites. One of the most common forms of parasites residing inside the dog intestines is the roundworms. Puppies get in contact with these parasites at a very early age. For effective treatment, the worms should be diagnosed at their very early stage as this might lead to fatal disorders in the later years. The incidence of worms can not be easily diagnosed until they have already multiplied to a great extent and the dog has also experienced a considerable amount of weight loss. Some whipworms can be seen in the stools of dogs. The following are some of the dog intestinal parasites.
Roundworms – Roundworms are one of the most common dog intestinal parasites. They are prevalent among puppies. They sometimes reside on the skin of pregnant bitches and may infest the puppies when they are born. The worm eggs have hard shells and are quite hardy. They can stay in the soil for several years before they hatch inside the intestine of the pup. A female roundworm may produce eggs up to 200 thousand eggs per day. When the eggs hatch inside the intestine of the pup the larvae try to crawl towards the find pipe but are sent back to the intestine when the pup swallows. This causes a feeling of gag in the pup while it swallows food. The larvae of the roundworm may travel to other body organs through the main bloodstream. The condition of the pup becomes acute when it gets infested with worms as well as fleas.
You may help to recover your pet dog from roundworms by giving effective over-the-counter medicinal pills. You should be careful of providing your dog with proper medicines but in measured amounts as would be prescribed by the vet doctor. Do not take the help of harmful chemicals to deworm your dog as that would make your dog sick.
As a responsible pet owner, to prevent the incidence of intestinal parasites you must take your dog for a stool examination after every 6 or 12 months. Clean and removes feces from your house lawn, kennel, and the adjacent street. Take your pet for exercise in grassy lawns that are less frequented by other dogs. Do not allow your pet to eat rodents like rats, mice, rabbits,, and such.
See more: Dog Joint Health
[…] See more: Dog Intestinal Parasites […]