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The dog is a very active and a curious animal. This often digs around trash and comes into contact with other animals. Though this may seem fun, people do not notice that this can lead to problems in the health of the pet. Worms are considered to be internal parasites. Some people will notice this immediately when the dog excretes this in the stool. However, this isn’t always the case.
There are some that can only be seen using a microscope once a blood sample has been taken. Once these parasites have entered the dog’s digestive system, the chances of survival are very slim. The only thing the owner can do is offer liquids and some medicine which will hopefully strengthen the pet’s immune system and hopefully kill the worms. Worms have been classified into 5 types. The first is called the hookworm. The dog can get this by walking in the garden and once these are on the foot of the pet, these will slowly move inside and multiply causing much havoc in the digestive system. These usually grow from 12 to 15 and suck on the blood. The dog can die even before this come out in the feces which is why puppies during this stage in life should be regularly brought to the vet. The person should be aware that this isn’t only contagious to dogs but to humans as well. The second is called a tapeworm. People will not mistake seeing this since this type of worms is long and usually live in the intestine of the animal. These can also be found in the anus and comes with fleas that suck on the blood of the animal. This can be killed using prescribed medication since ordinary vaccination does not work. The third type is called the roundworm. These look like spaghetti noodles when it comes out of the feces of the dog. Though some may come out, there are still some inside and can multiply some more if proper treatment isn’t administered. The only way to fight this is also using prescribed medication. The fourth type is called a whipworm. The parasite is called this way because these appear to be a combination of both the tape and the round worm. These are usually found in the colon area and have an incubation of three months before coming out. The fifth type is the heartworm. These usually stay near the heart and only a blood sample can reveal its existence. It is better to prevent this from happening since most pups that are infected die from this disease. The best protection against these parasites will be to bring the dog to the vet and having vaccinations done. The person can also try getting some disinfecting pills. These can be purchased without a medical prescription and should be used using the proper dosage. At home, the person can start by making sure the dog house or bedding is clean at all times. The pet should also be given a bath once a week and tied to a leash to prevent this animal from digging in the yard or eating from the trash since this is where germs and other contaminants grow. When a drug is struck by worms, the immune system may either fight or give up. A lot of dogs will die while those that do survive will have some side effects that will affect the dog for the remainder of its life.
Does your pet dog suffer from heartworms? Dog heartworm is a common disease among canines in the United States. Discovered in 1856, the worms mainly live in your dog's heart and major blood vessels. The worms, especially on worst cases, seriously impair the heart's operations. Worse, they could also clog your dog's blood vessels. These infections result in loss of body weight, chronic cough, dropsy, shortness of breath, chronic heart failure, vision disturbances, and ultimately, death. Since the symptoms of heartworm disease vary among dogs, it would be best that a veterinarian check your dog to evaluate a final analysis. Early treatment is vital. Most dogs show visible symptoms only when the disease has reached the point where it would be almost improbable to be cured by treatment. To help you see early symptoms and to hopefully save your dog, look out for these signs: - Dogs that have been quite active usually tend to be tired easily. - Dogs that would have been otherwise healthy usually gasp for breath. - Coughing of your dog has suddenly become a common occurrence. - Dogs bred for hunting could no longer keep up with rapid chases and usually fall from exhaustion. - In some rare instances, the dog experiences convulsions, jaundice, and problems in the vision. - Before it dies, the dog experiences emaciation. often precedes death. Who gets infected by the heartworm infection? Previously, it was thought that only dogs that were long-haired were more resistant to heartworms because of the high difficulty of mosquitoes (which bring the worms) to penetrate through the dogs' hair. Since then, it has been proven that this was not true. Mosquitoes even have a hard time penetrating through short-haired dogs. Actually, mosquitoes feed on the abdominal region of the dog. That is why both long-haired and short-haired dogs are susceptible to an infection, since both types have little hair on this region. Some mosquitoes also feed on the muzzle area or the ears where the dog's hair is quite matted down. Can heartworm infection be treated? Heartworm infection can be treated through chemical therapy if diagnosed early. Most of the chemical treatments kill the worms over some period of time. Killing all the worms in one swoop is no better: If all the heartworms were killed in just one treatment, the dead bodies would deposit in the lungs and kill the dog. Remember also that the chemicals used in treating the worms are also as dangerous to your dog as the worms. That is why treating the disease using chemical therapy should be used with utmost care and should be handled by a veterinarian. There also cases when surgery is needed. In most cases, this can be a feasible option. Consult with the veterinarian about surgical correction or any other method that can cure the infection. There are also drugs that could prevent your dog from getting heartworms. These drugs attack the parasite in its early stages and stop the worms from being full-blown adults later. This doesn't mean that your dog would be free from infection. This only means that dogs can still get infected during the season of mosquitoes and yet remain unscathed of heartworms. Preventative medication using drugs, on the other hand, can cause serious complications if your dog already has heartworm infections in a higher level. That is why the use of drugs should be under the supervision of veterinarians. Taking drugs are also combined with regular blood texts. This has shown to be quite effective in saving many dogs with heartworm infection. In order for your dog to avoid heartworm infection, protect your pet from mosquito bites especially if there is a high mosquito population in your area or if it is mosquito season. You might want to screen the sleeping quarters of your dogs to avoid repeated bites. Repellent sprays can also be used, but these only have limited effects. You might also want to consult your vet fro preventive medication. In addition, you might want regular blood tests on your dog to assess early symptoms of infection. This is quite tricky, especially if the symptoms of heartworm infection could not be seen immediately. In short, your dog which looked healthy may be having early symptoms of heartworm infection. It would be best that you have him checked y your vet.. Get Optimal Health Products for your Pets HERE Contributed by David Exon, Nutritional Consultant, who has many more inspiring diet tips, diet blog, pet health articles and motivation resources on his healthy weight management website
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