Roundworms in Dogs: How To Treat
Roundworms in dogs could be one of the most common health problems of pets. This condition happens when the roundworms, which also popular as Ascaris, is infecting your puppies. Ascaris comes in roundshape that gives the name and it lives in the intestine of your dog. These 2 to 5 length worms also sometimes coil up in masses, which then lead to any problem to the passage.
Commonly, you will find two different types of roundworms in dogs and puppies. The first type will be the Toxocara canis and the second one will be Toxascaris leonina. You can treat both of the types with the same prescription. One thing that makes T. leonina different from the T. canis is the capability of infecting both cats and dogs. So once you have identified the T. leonine, you can determine other pets at your home that might have high risk of infection.
Indeed, roundworms in dogs are really easy to spread and are quite difficult to control. Ascaris could easily infect your dogs once they make any contacts with your pets. The infection of roundworms in dogs, especially for Toxocara canis, occurs due to some different causes. First, your dog might have eaten or consuming infective eggs of the worm from the soil. Second, your dog might have eaten infected prey that carries the worm.
Some other possibilities also occur when it comes to the infection of roundworms in dogs. The nursing from mother dog infected by the worm could also be a huge possibility. Even, the worm might have been infected the puppies during their embryonic development. It could be easily happen when the pregnant mother dog is infected by this Ascaris.
Be cautious when your dogs show some changes on their behaviors since it might be the symptom of the infection. The symptoms are including:
Dull Coat
This is one of the most visible symptoms you could notice. Commonly, healthy dogs have shiny and thick coat of fur. The changes on the appearance of the coat might show any problem to the health of the dogs, including the Ascaris infection. Other symptoms that might appear on the coat due to the infection are including pimply, dry, and harsh skin.
Appetite Loss
The significant loss of appetite might also shows the infections of roundworms in dogs. An infected dog could eat in a large amount one day and stop eating anything at the other day. Besides, significant weight loss that leaves pot-belly could also be another symptom of the infection.
The Presence of Adult Worms in The Feces
Besides, you might see the adult worms visible in the feces of your dogs. If it happens, it means that the Ascaris has infected your dog. Roundworms in dogs also makes the infected dog suffers from bloody and irregular stools. The infected dogs could also suffer from ruptured bowels, anemia, as well as intestinal obstructions.
The infection of roundworms in dogs could be handled by giving some deworming products. Nowadays, you can find various effective products either under prescription or over the counter. Those products are including Febantel, Piperazine, Pyrantel, and Fenbendazole. Asking for some suggestions about the treatment for roundworms in dogs from professional veterinarian is also recommended.