If your dog becomes infected by parasites, the symptoms can range from annoying, to life-threatening. In this post, our Bedford vets will go over some of the parasites that your dog can contract, and why it is so important to prevent infection.
What is a parasite?
A parasite is an organism that feeds on your dog without offering any benefit. They steal nutrients from your dog and can cause irreversible damage to your dog's organs.
How do parasite infections happen?
It's easier for a dog to pick up parasites than you may think. Your dog doesn’t need to be near other animals to get infected, because some parasites are transmitted through insect bites, other animal feces, and some are passed down from mother to child before they are even born.
Once a dog is infected, it is very difficult to get some parasites out of their entrenched location. This is why the best solution is to practice preventative measures. Some examples of parasites that dogs may have:
Heartworm disease
This parasite is often spread by mosquitoes. Once your dog is infected the worm will grow (up to a foot long), reproduce, and spread throughout the dog's body. They get the name heartworm for their unfortunate habit of embedding in the heart muscle. They can be found in an infected dog's heart, lungs, and blood vessels, damaging everything they come into contact with. The issue with diagnosing them is that by the time the symptoms show, the infection is quite severe.
Roundworms
This parasite can be passed in from mother to child before birth. They can also be transmitted if a dog interacts with an infected dog's feces. The eggs can live for weeks in the feces without a host. Roundworms can cause many problems in dogs such as stunting growth and creating a pot belly appearance. They can also infect humans, especially human children.
Hookworms
These horrifying creatures can infect your dog either through consuming an infected mother's milk, consuming the eggs in feces, or they burrow into the skin. These creatures are little vampires that live off of the blood of animals by entering the GI tract and tearing holes in the lining, causing ulcers which they feed from. They can prove deadly to young puppies and cause anemia in adult dogs. These vile creatures can also burrow into human skin. Like the roundworm, sandboxes are notorious for being the vector of transmission.
Fleas
The classic pest that infests your dog’s fur. They are normally an annoyance, constantly biting and causing skin irritation. They can be a disease vector for tapeworms.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are long parasites made up of multiple segments, each containing many tapeworm eggs. After a dog ingests a flea or rodent carrying the tapeworm larvae, adult tapeworms develop and live in their small intestines. Tapeworms attach themselves to the lining of the dog’s gut in order to feed off the nutrients inside their intestines. Segments periodically break off in the intestine and pass through the dog’s feces, which is when they become visible to owners. These segments will appear no bigger than a grain of rice.
Ticks
These little bugs bury their heads into the flesh of their victim. They can also attack humans, and can spread lyme disease in humans and dogs.
What Can I do to Protect My Dog?
The best way to protect your dog is to keep up with their vaccinations. Your vet will be able to advise you of a schedule for inoculation. Make sure your dog goes for an annual wellness check so your vet can test for infestation.
Conclusion
Parasites can pose a significant danger to even the healthiest dog. That's why we recommend a variety of parasite prevention practices and products to protect your pooch and your family.
Parasite control for dogs is an essential part of their routine healthcare. During your pet's annual exam, your veterinarian in Bedford can check your dog for any signs of parasites and recommend parasite control measures or products that would be suitable for them based on your location, your dog's risk factors, health status and more.
We are also happy to address any questions and concerns you may have about parasite prevention and control.