Monday, November 28, 2011

Hookworms

I don't see it

Most intestinal parasites are too small to see.  They can be found by your vet, who gets a sample of your dog's feces and examines it under a microscope.  There the eggs can be identified.  Depending on what it found, different dewormers will be prescribed. 

Prevention

Puppies should be given a routine deworming at 2,4, and 6 weeks.  They are then started on a heartworm preventative at 8 weeks that also controls intestinal parasites.  Interceptor, Iverhart Max and Heartgard Plus all control hookworms.  These are given once a month for the rest of the dog's life.  If an adult dog is brought into the home, it should be treated twice with dewormer, 2 weeks apart, then started on heartworm prevention.  Feces should be picked up immediately to prevent contamination of the soil.  If the soil becomes infested, a flamethrower is the only tool available to kill the eggs in the ground.  Bleach will kill eggs on hard surfaces.

Symptoms

Dogs with hookworms can show no symptoms at all or can have diarrhea, possibly bloody.  They may be lethargic or have difficulty gaining weight.  As the parasite load gets worse, a dog can lose weight and if left untreated can cause death, especially in young or sick animals.  Because the worms themselves are so small they are not able to be seen with the naked eye.

No comments:

Post a Comment