Hear Ye Hear Ye!
Dogs just like humans are prone to the accidental ingestion of parasites. We humans may get these from unwashed vegetables, poorly cooked meats or contact with soil/dirt. Dogs can contract them from the environment we’ve exposed them to, including the outdoors where there’s a great chance of contact with insects (such as fleas), feces and soil, but also from within our homes. The outdoors is a common source because it’s not as easy to clean the soil as it is to clean your tiles.
Imagine, they run around in it, burrow in it and even sometimes eat the soil amongst other things out there. As wonderful and nutritious as the soil can be for our garden plants and crops, it’s also a harmful source of these pesky parasites in high quantities. But what’s a parasite?
Parasites are organisms which live on or in other organisms in order to survive. Ectoparasites attach themselves externally and Endoparasites attach internally. This month I’ll be discussing those that live within.
Endoparasites
The common canine internal parasites are found in the heart (Heartworm) and the intestines (Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms and Whipworms). They localize in these areas because the worms thrive best in these environments. They feed and reproduce rapidly to sustain themselves. Though they thrive, they have negative effects on the dog. Here’s a brief breakdown of each of these parasites and some of the ways they affect our friends.
Heartworms: With one bite a mosquito can infect your dog. It takes about 6 months for the adults to develop and migrate through the bloodstream, at which point they can grow to be 6-12 inches long and clog the arteries and compartments of the heart. That’s like having an entire Singapore noodle in your bloodstream. So circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients is severely compromised. This can lead to congestive heart failure and subsequent collapse of the dog.
The good news is it’s preventable. There are monthly medications that work to kill the larvae before they mature and cause these terrible effects. Treating adult worms can also be risky especially in older dogs, so waiting can greatly reduce their chance of recovery.
Hookworms: These attach to the intestinal walls and suck blood, which is why bloody diarrhea and weight loss may be symptoms of their presence. This is also where it lays eggs which then pass in the feces and may be reingested.
Roundworms: Very common in puppies, this invader latches on to the walls of the intestines and travels through the blood to the liver then lungs. This can leads to difficulty breathing. They’re coughed up and reingested going back to the intestines, where they eat partially digested food resulting in malnourishment. Eggs are laid profusely and passed in feces and the cycle continues. Eggs can also be passed via the placenta and milk from mom (so caring for her is also important).
Tapeworms: Ingested through a carrier (like fleas), these buggers live in the intestines and feed on your dog’s nutrients. Egg packets break off and pass in feces, seen as white flat segments and on drying out release these eggs into the environment. Your dog may scoot his anus on the ground in an attempt to reduce the irritation they cause. From there, they can penetrate the skin or be gobbled down once again.
Whipworms: They also attach to the intestinal walls to feed. Sometimes they go undetected but especially in large quantities they can cause blood loss and poor body condition.
With all this knowledge, it’s easy to be afraid of exposing your dog to the outdoors. But don’t worry, there’s a lot you can do to protect your best friend while allowing them to explore.
The 3 Ms
1. Monitor your pets closely
2. Monthly preventative medications
3. Maintain contact with your veterinarian
It’s up to you as an owner to protect your dog’s health. This means knowing the normal behaviour and condition for any dog and then their individual personality, ensuring they stay up to date with preventative medications (deworming and immiticides) and that they see a veterinarian regularly. Your vet will also advise you on specific care for your pet depending on age, gender, level of activity and exposure in order to work towards achieving optimum healthcare. Cleanliness is also an important component of pet care and should not be overlooked. Just as we keep our kitchens clean and wash our hands, we should be making sure the area for our dogs is just as well kept. In other words, Move the poop! And disinfect !
Be aware that most symptoms of endoparasitism are non-specific (vomiting, diarrhea, malnourishment etc.), so it could be one of many causes of illness, therefore warranting a visit to your vet. Some parasites may even be silently present. There are other less common methods of contracting them and the severity of signs ranges based on the load of parasites. Preventing parasitic infections is simple enough and would put your mind at ease in allowing your dog to enjoy the outdoors.
Remember, your pet is a member of your family, so your care for them should be important to you. If you'd like to schedule a visit for your dog, feel free to make an appointment on my bookings page.
Happy Pet-Parenting !
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