Internal parasites must be the nightmare of many dog owners.
Not only does it harm the dog’s health, but sometimes you can see disgusting worms in its feces (shiver).
Moreover, the treatment process is long and complicated.
It is painful for both the dog and the owner.
Therefore, the editor would like to remind everyone to ensure that the environment is clean and insect repellent is performed regularly!
So what internal parasites do dogs have and how can we prevent them?
Come and find out with me!
Canine Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is a highly lethal disease for dogs.
The reason is that heartworms parasitize in the dog’s heart, damaging the dog’s heart function.
It causes poor blood circulation, which in turn causes damage to internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs.
Heartworms are long, slender parasites that can grow up to 28 centimeters long and are transmitted through mosquito bites.
Heartworms are particularly dangerous to small dogs because their hearts are smaller.
Even a small number of parasites can lead to serious consequences.
[Symptoms]
1. Coughing as if something is stuck in the throat
2. Decreased appetite and weight loss
3. I am not motivated to walk and I get out of breath after just two steps.
Please be careful if you experience the following symptoms:
1. Abnormal abdominal distension (ascites)
2. Pale mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes (anemia)
3. Red urine (hematuria)
【Prevention methods】
Give your dog heartworm medicine every month and keep the environment clean to avoid mosquitoes.
Once a dog is infected with heartworms, it is easy to cause damage to its internal organs, so the mortality rate is extremely high and owners have to be careful.
Batrachoma
Baconia is a blood parasite that is transmitted through tick bites or vertical transmission from mother to fetus.
The worms can destroy the red blood cells in the blood and cause anemia in dogs.
[Symptoms]
Symptoms of anemia such as loss of appetite and weakness;
Pale gums, poor spirits, and punctate bleeding spots on the body;
In severe cases, it may also cause kidney failure.
【Prevention methods】
Keep the environment clean and do a good job of external deworming to reduce the risk of your dog being parasitized by worms.
Infected dogs should be taken to a veterinarian for deworming and treatment for anemia.
Hookworm disease
Hookworms are intestinal parasites with hook-shaped mouthparts.
The larvae can be infective by swallowing them or by directly penetrating the skin and entering the intestines to parasitize.
If a mother dog is infected with hookworms, the infection may also be passed on to the puppies through the placenta or through breast milk.
[Symptoms]
Hookworms live in the intestines and use their hooked mouthparts to bite and suck blood, which can lead to bloody stools.
Loss of appetite, abdominal pain;
In severe cases, it can cause anemia and malnutrition.
Especially puppies need to be treated with special caution.
【Prevention methods】
Maintaining a clean environment is the most important task, especially making sure that excrement is cleaned up.
If you keep too many dogs, it is easy to cause repeated infections. If you have many dogs in a family, you should take preventive medication regularly.
Ascariasis
Ascaris lumbricoides is about 7 to 15 centimeters long and is the most common intestinal parasite.
The main route of infection for Ascaris is through excrement. The eggs in the intestine are excreted from the body through feces.
Healthy dogs may become infected if they accidentally come into contact with contaminated soil.
If a mother dog is infested with roundworms during pregnancy, the puppies will also be infected in the uterus.
[Symptoms]
Abdominal distension, vomiting, diarrhea;
In severe cases, cramps, paralysis and even intestinal obstruction may occur.
【Prevention methods】
Ascaris eggs cannot withstand high temperatures and dry environments, and the incubation period of infection in fresh feces is usually about ten days.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep the environment clean at ordinary times to avoid the presence of rats, cockroaches, etc.; it is best to clean up excrement immediately.
Giardia lamblia
Giardia lamblia is an intestinal parasite that usually does not cause obvious symptoms if there are only a few parasites. The main route of infection is eating food or water contaminated with worm eggs.
[Symptoms]
Loose stools, diarrhea, weight loss.
【Prevention methods】
Keep your dog’s food and water clean.
Coccidioides
Coccidia are also intestinal parasites that are usually transmitted through the feces of carriers. They are very small and require the assistance of a microscope to observe. Symptoms are more severe in young or weak dogs.
[Symptoms]
Bloody stools, diarrhea, and even death.
【Prevention methods】
The environment should be kept dry and clean; and attention should be paid to the dog’s nutritional balance.
After reading the above introduction, you will find that there is actually a common focus, that is, environmental hygiene.
Most parasites are spread by mosquitoes or feces.
As long as you maintain the hygiene of your home environment and feed your dog preventive medicine regularly,
This can effectively prevent the rampant parasites in the body!
Dog owners, please help your dogs manage their health.
Only then can the puppies wag their tails happily every day!
