HOW TO PROTECT YOUR DOG AND FAMILY FROM
ROUNDWORMS
Nearly every puppy in the world is born with
roundworms. This is because the roundworm's larvae are transmitted from the
mother to the puppy while it is still in the womb. A female dog can harbor
roundworms in her tissue, often making them immune to dewormings. The roundworms
then have the opportunity to emerge during pregnancy through the mother's
bloodstream and infect the unborn puppies. Roundworms can also be transmitted to
newborn puppies through the mother's milk during nursing.
Roundworms are also easily transmitted to humans. Young children are most
susceptible because they are always sticking their fingers in their mouths!
Roundworms are transmitted to humans and dogs through eggs that are in a dog or
puppy's stool. They can either be ingested through direct eating of the stool or
by eating something else that has eaten the stool (the dog eats a bird, mouse,
etc. that has eaten the dog's stool).
Everyone should wash their hands frequently after handling the puppy or dog and
make sure that all faeces is removed from the yard and disposed of on a daily
basis. Most infections in people are mild and cause no symptoms at all. However
there have been cases of worms migrating to the liver, brain, and eyes.
Symptoms of roundworms in humans include:
Anaemia
Appetite Loss
Difficulty Breathing
Constipation
Cough
Cramping
Diarrhoea
Fever
Hives
Itching
Nausea
Chest Pain
Muscle Pain
Passing of Worms
Rash
Skin Lesions
Swelling
Vision Disturbances
Vomiting
Weight Loss
Infected puppies can become quite ill and heavy infestations may lead to
convulsions and even death. Most puppies that die are around the age of two to
three weeks old. Puppies should be wormed at ages 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age.
Adult dogs should receive yearly stool samples from their veterinarian to check
for worms. Roundworms will look like spaghetti in the puppy's faeces.
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Symptoms of roundworms in dogs include:
Potbelly
Diarrhoea
Gas
Vomiting
Lack of Energy
Slow Growth Rate
Dull Coat
Coughing (if immature roundworms have migrated to the puppy's lungs)
Some dogs may show some or all of these symptoms while others may show no
symptoms at all. When adult roundworms are seen in the dog's stool this is often
because of ongoing disease in the bowel or sometimes because the worm burden had
become so great that the worms are crowding each other out.
Treatment of roundworms is not dangerous and is highly effective. Buy your
wormers from the vet and give them regularly as instructed. The tablets are not
difficult to give if you train your dog to take them in tiny bits of cheese or
put them into sweets. The best way to protect your family and dogs from
roundworms is through a regular program of both medication and prevention
(keeping the yard clean of faeces).
About the Author:
Jennifer Bryant is a life-long lover of dogs. Jennifer loves and breeds American
Pit Bull Terriers in her North Georgia home with her 2 young children. Her love
of dogs has inspired her to create a website for herself (as well as other dog
breeders) to advertise their occasional litter of puppies and to educate others
with dog breed information and useful articles.
