Saturday, November 13, 2010

Valuable Facts Concerning Roundworms In Puppies

By Jessica Young

There are five kinds of parasitic worms commonly found in puppies. Among these five kinds of parasite worms, roundworms are the most common. They have spherical or tubular shape body with a length of 2-4 inches, but they can grow to as long as 8 inches in a short period of time. Toxascaris leonina and Toxacara canis are the most common types of roundworms found inside the puppies' body.

Roundworms are parasites that are passed to the puppy in the womb through egg or larvae. They can also be passed to the puppies though the milk of the mother. Aside from this, puppies can also get roundworms if they get close to the feces of an animal with the said parasite or through the feces of their mother. Consuming prey infected with roundworms can make the puppies acquire the infection as well. The larvae moves through the liver, then to the muscles, then to the lungs and then to the puppies' intestines where they feed on the partially digested food.

Puppies encounter difficulty in swallowing and urinating if they get infected with roundworms. You will know if your dog's puppies are infected with roundworms if they suffer from frequent vomiting, diarrhea, dull hair, weight loss, lack of appetite, weight gain in the belly, slow growth and problems while passing stools. If roundworms are not detected on time, it can result to the puppies' death.

De-worming of puppies that are about 3 weeks old is essential since their body resistance is low and this might cause for roundworm infestation. There are medicines that can control roundworms; these are Fendendaole, Pyrantel and Piperazine. However, these medicines can cause serious side effects to puppies. Thus, it is highly recommended to seek the opinion of your veterinarian first before giving your puppy anything. Puppies eventually develop resistance to any infection when they are already 6 months old.

Microscopic examination of the puppy's stool is done by the veterinarian to determine roundworm infection. After this, the veterinarian will then give prescription and recommendation for your puppy. During the treatment, the roundworms are not really killed but they are removed from the puppy's body through its stool. Roundworms treatment can continue for about two months because its larvae may still be present in the puppy's intestines.

Homeopathy is one kind of treatment that is considered to be safe. This is done my mixing - to 2 cloves of chopped fresh garlic and grated carrots to the puppies' meal. Oat barns can also be used instead of grated carrots. Also, wash and disinfect the area where the puppies usually defecate with a mixture of bleach and water.

Treating roundworm infection can be a tedious task that is why proper dog care steps should be strictly followed to keep the symptoms of the infection from showing up again. Check your puppies' body too so that you will know if there are other parasites in its body and to see if there are changes. Never leave your puppy's food open for a long time and immediately throw it if your puppy does not want to eat it anymore. You can also deworm your pregnant dog during her late stages of pregnancy to decrease the chances of infection among her puppies. Disinfect the surroundings and deworm your puppy as needed. Keep your puppies away from places where other dogs defecate to avoid infection. Also, throw your puppies' waste properly. Humans can also get infected with dog worms, thus, proper dog care and hygiene should strictly be observed.

About the Author:

>
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

0 comments: