What
are worms and how do they cause trouble?
Both dogs and cats can suffer with worms. These worms are
parasites which usually live in the intestine and may cause disease, or may produce no ill
effects. It is important to keep pets as free of worms as possible for two reasons:1. To keep them healthy
2. To minimise risk to people and particularly children,
who may (rarely) become infected with the larval form of Toxocara canis from environmental
contamination with Toxocara eggs (eg in parks and gardens).
What are the
different types of worms?
There are two main groups - the roundworms and tapeworms.
Roundworms are more common in dogs, and this group includes Toxocara canis as well as
other less common worms. They lay eggs which are passed directly from dog to dog via the
faeces. All puppies are born with roundworm infestation from their mother, and treatment
must kill both adult worms in the intestine and the larval worms which migrate around the
body. The eggs cannot be seen in the dog's motions, so it is difficult to tell if a dog is
infected, but occasionally adult worms may be seen which look like thin spaghetti and are
creamy-white in colour.
At any one time, 1 in 6 to 1 in 10 dogs will be passing
Toxocara eggs at a rate of millions per day. The eggs are very resistant and stay
infective on the ground for many months.
Tapeworms have a more complex life cycle involving an intermediate host - usually the
flea, or a small animal that the cat or dog eats. Tapeworms can become very long, and shed
egg carrying segments which may appear in the pet's motions or around the anus. These
segments look like grains of rice and may move about.
Other worms, eg Hookworms and Whipworms occasionally cause
problems, particularly in kennelled and rescue dogs.
What do I do to
keep my pet worm free?
Regular worming with the right preparation will give you the
best chance of keeping your pet worm-free, and reducing the chances of contaminating the
environment. A selection of worming preparations are stocked at the surgery, but most are
not available for general sale, eg in supermarkets and pet shops. As well as working
better, they can also be safer too. Worming recommendations vary according to the age of
your pet, and his or her weight.
No starvation or special feeding is required, but do follow
the dosage instructions carefully and keep all medicines out of children's reach. Always
spray regularly for fleas, to reduce tapeworm infestation.
How long does
my wormer last?
We recommend that you worm your pet every three months, but
this is NOT because the worming dose lasts for this time in the pet. When a wormer is
given to a cat or dog it should remove any worms that are present in the digestive tract
(stomach, small and large intestine). Once the wormer has passed out of the body, usually
within a few days, your pet is open to reinfection. If you take an aspirin for a headache
today, it is not much use for the headache you get next week.
Why worm every three
months?
You could worm your pet weekly, fortnightly, monthly or once
in a lifetime. Every three months is a practical and cost effective way of controlling
worms in your pet. Certain individual cats who hunt and eat wildlife regularly would
certainly benefit from worming more frequently than every three months. There are
now a number of wormers available as tablets or spot-on preparations which are
conveniently given monthly.
Most adult cats and dogs develop a degree of immunity
against roundworm infection and may harbour a few worms. These will produce thousands of
eggs which can pose a threat to other cats and dogs, and children. In most cases you will
not know that your pet has worms. An odd roundworm or two in the intestine is unlikely to
cause any clinical signs.
You do not, contrary to most texts on pet health, see pets
with itchy bottoms due to worms. The common worm infection in children, the Pin worm, does
cause itching around the anus (bottom). The female pin worm lays eggs on the skin
surrounding the anus and causes intense itching. Dogs and cats do not get pin worm. The
common round worm in cats and dogs lays eggs well up inside the intestine and the eggs
pass out into the motions without causing any itching. Even the 'rice grain'-like tapeworm
segment which is sometimes seen on cats or dogs bottoms doesn't seem to cause irritation.
It is assumed because children have itchy bottoms so should cats and dogs - not so.
If you worm every six months your pet could be passing eggs
for two to three months before the next wormer
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