Worms in Dogs

Internal Parasites

This is the most common problem affecting our four-legged friends, and because there are many of them in the external environment it is easy for dogs to become infected. Special attention should be paid to this in caring for our dog, as parasites are also a threat to the health of us and our children. Mainly it involves tapeworms and roundworms.

How Does a Dog Get Infected?

A dog most often gets infected through direct contact. This applies to both external parasites: fleas, ticks, mites and internal parasites, which enter through the digestive tract. Let us remember this when out for a walk, for example in a forest or meadow. Let us watch carefully over our pet running freely, to check if he has perhaps found an interesting dead bird that might be infested with parasites. Many of us, when out for a walk, allow our dogs to drink water from puddles, but this is unfortunately a big mistake on our part. Why? Because puddles contain not only chemicals, but also GIARDIA, otherwise known as LAMBLIA, which is really difficult to get rid of. Young puppies that have not yet reached one year of age are more at risk of lamblia-related illnesses. Infection with lamblia or other worms also occurs as a result of eating faeces of other animals. That is why it is so very important to clean up after your dog, especially in places where children play, such as on grass. Let us remember that parasites that occur in dogs do not always pose a great threat to them, but they can drastically affect our health. When they enter our body they will migrate through tissues, settling in various internal organs—lungs, brain or even the eyeball. Parasite larvae are excreted with faeces and we can transfer them on our shoes, and dogs unfortunately on their paws. 

Lamblia, as well as other parasites living in a dog's digestive tract, including tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms, can cause very serious health problems. Some dogs with parasites in their intestines may be lethargic, have weaker immunity, loss of appetite, dull coat and diarrhoea. It is good if we notice such symptoms in our dog, then we can quickly implement appropriate treatment. However, there are dogs in which typical symptoms of worms do not occur, and by excreting them with their faeces they contribute to their spread in the environment. Let us remember to have regular faecal and blood tests. If the test result confirms the presence of parasites, then the veterinarian will prescribe appropriate antiparasitic medications containing (metronidazole, tinidazole, fenbendazole). In my dog's case, lamblia treatment lasted quite a long time. He received various pharmaceutical drugs, which only reduced the number of cysts. I started searching the internet for ways to get rid of this nuisance. It turned out that there are many natural preparations on the market that work very well with this parasite. My dog (Drago, a long-haired German Shepherd) was helped by a course of black walnut extract. However, one must remember that every dog is different and will react differently to the administered preparations, so you should always consult with a veterinarian. 

External Parasites

This is another scourge that dog owners battle with. Fleas, lice, ticks and mites cause our pet great discomfort and contribute to the development of many diseases. 

Fleas in Dogs

They are the most commonly encountered parasite that we can see with the naked eye. These tiny insects can be very dangerous if they remain on our dog's skin for a long time. Dogs become infected from other animals, for example during a walk. These small insects can suck significantly more blood from our dog in a single day than the flea itself weighs. Unfortunately, fighting fleas is not easy, because a female can lay around 50 eggs a day, which then end up on the dog's bedding, in the carpet, on the armchair, in all those places where the dog spends time. If we notice that our dog is scratching more frequently, we should search through his coat to check if there are uninvited guests in the form of small fleas. It is best to do this in the evening, as fleas show very high activity in biting at that time. A flea bite is not pleasant for a dog. These areas become painful, often red, and the venom causes what is called flea dermatitis. A common symptom of this is hair loss at the bite site and increased licking. Unfortunately, as a result of secondary bacterial infections, purulent dermatitis develops. Flea larvae can also transmit internal parasites, such as tapeworms. We don't always manage to find this parasite in our dog's thick coat, but we can see its droppings, which are brown and resemble clumps of soil. A simple way to determine that fleas are the cause of scratching is to comb the dog while it stands on a white sheet or other white material. During combing with a fine-toothed comb, we should notice red specks, which are flea droppings. We can use various preparations to fight fleas, which are available in pet shops or veterinary clinics.  It is worth discussing this with your dog's veterinarian, as these products contain chemical insecticidal substances that are not harmless to your dog's health. A veterinarian who knows your dog should select an appropriate preparation that will not only eliminate fleas, but also their eggs. 

Ticks in Dogs

We can find ticks in dogs practically throughout the year and there are more of them year on year.  There are about a dozen species of ticks living in our country, but the most dangerous for our dog are Ixodes ricinus and Dermacenter reticularis. Unfortunately, tick feeding activity lasts throughout most of the year. It starts as early as late February and March, and because winters are increasingly mild and there are no severe frosts, they can also appear in December and January. Ticks attack our dogs from bushes, from deciduous trees, and there are also many of them in grass. A tick attaches to a dog's skin quickly and remains embedded in it for a very long time. Therefore, it is important that the tick be removed from the skin very quickly. Then there is a greater chance that infection will not occur. The tick should be removed very slowly so as not to break off the abdomen alone. The mouth apparatus left in the skin can lead to the formation of an abscess. Some people use various methods to get rid of a tick from a dog—for example, they smear it with fat or spray it with alcohol. Unfortunately the tick begins to defend itself and  forces a greater amount of toxins into the dog's skin. 

Ticks in dogs can lead to tick-borne disease. It is dangerous and leads to the dog's death if not recognised in time. Babesiosis, which is what we are talking about, is increasingly affecting our dogs. Ticks in dogs, once they burrow into the skin, introduce the protozoan Babesia canis into the dog's bloodstream along with their saliva, which then begins to multiply through division. This protozoan multiplies very rapidly, causing red blood cells to rupture. Symptoms of babesiosis do not appear immediately after a bite. The incubation period lasts from 10 to 20 days. The first symptoms that may indicate that our dog is ill are paleness of the mucous membranes and conjunctivae, and most importantly, a change in urine colour from yellow to red. Lethargy, loss of appetite, rapid breathing and fast heart rate are further symptoms of babesiosis. There is also very high fever of 40-42 degrees, neurological disturbances, pain in internal organs such as the pancreas, swelling of limbs, and vomiting. Babesiosis is difficult to treat. It involves administering medications that will destroy the protozoan, and often a blood transfusion is also needed. It can also happen that a dog bitten by a tick carrying this dangerous protozoan will not become ill. It will simply be a carrier of this parasite. However, the disease can develop when for some reason the dog's immunity drops or it experiences severe stress. Unfortunately, such a dog, which is only a carrier, can infect other animals through biting or through blood transfusion. Babesiosis can also be transmitted by a pregnant bitch to her puppies. 

Remember to protect your pets from ticks. Currently on the market there are various preparations, collars, spot-on treatments, tablets and natural herbal products that will to a greater or lesser extent protect your dog from ticks. Not every preparation will be suitable for your dog, because every dog is different. One will wear a protective collar, another despite wearing the same collar will still pick up ticks. Personally, I give my dog tablets. Someone might say that I am poisoning my dog with chemicals. But I work on the assumption that I would rather my dog live 10 or more years and cross the Rainbow Bridge because of liver disease, than be defeated by a tick. Prevention is the most important thing.