Hygeia

The term ‘worms in dogs’ is used to describe many different internal parasites which can infect our pets. Treatment for worms in dogs can be bought at veterinary surgeries and pet shops and it is important to use them regularly. Worming a dog is a very important part of responsible pet ownership.
There are two common types of worms in dogs in the UK. They are known as roundworms and tapeworms. Unfortunately, roundworms are very hard to avoid as many puppies are infected at birth. This underlines the importance of worming our dogs regularly, especially during puppyhood.

Although many infected dogs will show no outward symptoms of roundworms, compared to other worms in dogs, they can have serious consequences. Adult roundworms live in the dog’s intestine and eats the contents. This means that they eat your dog’s food. In cases of serious infection there can be dozens of roundworms living inside one dog. It isn’t surprising to find a heavily infested dog can be malnourished, lacking in energy and displaying a dull coat.

Roundworms can remain dormant in cysts inside the muscles of adult dogs. They then reawaken later on, often at times of stress. Very commonly, pregnancy awakens them and the larvae migrate around the body, infecting the unborn puppies. Even giving the mother dog worm treatment will not get rid of the worms in the unborn puppies. This is why worms in dogs treatments for puppies are vital.

Adult worms release eggs which are passed with the dog’s faeces, contaminating soil. Then toehr dogs pick up the eggs from the soil. The most common roundowmr in the UK is the Toxocara Canis and it can infect humans, especially children who come into contact with the eggs playing in contaminated soil or sand. The worm larvae may then migrate around the child’s body and can cause serious and permanent damage to eyesight if they reach the back of teh retina. It is therefore very important to regularly treat worms in dogs.