160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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The Most common worms your pet can become infected with are:
· Roundworms (also called ascarids) are the most common
worms found. These worms are white or tan, 4-6 inches long, and are round.
People often describe them as looking like spaghetti if they are seen. They can
sometimes be passed in the feces or vomit. Immature larval stages travel through
the liver and lungs, which can cause respiratory problems and liver disease. The
adult worms then attach to your pet's small intestines. Treatment involves
deworming the pet with a liquid prescription medication that you give to your
pet once every 7 days for 3 treatments. The medicine smells like bananas and
most pets do not seem to mind its taste. A fecal should be done at 4 and 8 weeks
following the initial diagnosis of roundworms in order to ensure that all worms
have been cleared from your pet.
· Hookworms live in your pet's small
intestines where they use teeth to attach. They then suck blood from the
intestines. In severe infections, the intestines can bleed as well and your pet
can become severely anemic. Treatment involves deworming the pet with a liquid
(or powder you can mix in canned food) once daily for 5 days in a row. In some
cases, the veterinarian may recommend the treatment be repeated in two weeks. A
fecal should be done at 4 and 8 weeks following the initial diagnosis of
hookworms in order to ensure that all worms have been cleared from your
pet.
· Whipworms are most commonly found in dogs and are the most difficult
to completely eradicate as the eggs are very hardy and can remain viable in the
environment for long periods of times. Adult worms attach to a portion of the
dog's large intestines. The worm's tail is very sharp and acts like a whip as it
moves inside the intestines. This movement creates fine cuts on the inner lining
sometimes causing infected dogs to have bloody, mucousy feces, often diarrhea.
Treatment involves deworming the pet with a liquid (or powder you can mix in
canned food) once daily for 5 days in a row. In Some cases the veterinarian may
recommend the treatment be repeated in two weeks. A fecal should be done at 4,
8, and 12 weeks following the initial diagnosis of whipworms in order to ensure
that all worms have been cleared from your pet. In dogs diagnosed with
whipworms, we recommend the dog be put on a specific heartworm preventative
called Interceptor or Sentinel to help decrease the chance of re-infection.
·
Tapeworms are transmitted to your pet by ingesting a flea carrying an infective
stage of the tapeworms. Tapeworms live in the small intestines and can be
several feet long. The worm is composed of a bunch of segments. Each segment is
basically a reproductive factory, harboring bunches of eggs. As the eggs mature,
a segment from the end of the worm is shed and passed in the feces. When
initially shed, these segments may move and look like little white inchworms or
maggots around your pets tail, anus, or in your pet's feces. As the segments dry
out, they no longer move and become little white flakes, which many owners
describe as looking like rice. Because the eggs are usually retained within
these segments, eggs may not always show up on a fecal test so, these worms are
more frequently diagnosed by the owner seeing the segments. Sometimes an entire
worm can be passed or a bunch of segments may pass while still attached. In
these instances, you would see a long, flat white or tan worm that looks like it
has had slice marks put on it. Treatment of tapeworms involves giving your pet a
pill by mouth at the time of diagnosis and again 30 days later. Further chances
of re-infection can be decreased by controlling fleas on your pet and in the
environment (please see "About Fleas and Controlling Them").
· Coccidia are
intestinal parasites that are actually not worms but rather a single-celled
organism called protozoans. They can cause diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss,
and/or anorexia. Some animals show no symptoms at all until infections become
very progressed. Treatment includes giving your pet either a pill or a liquid by
mouth once daily for 10 days in a row. A fecal should be done at 4 and 8 weeks
following the initial diagnosis of coccidia in order to ensure that all worms
have been cleared from your pet.
After your pet receives a deworming
medicine, you may see worms in their feces and/or vomit and your pet may have
some diarrhea (especially if we are treating for roundworms and or tapeworms).
This is just do to the dead worms being passed and is nothing to be alarmed
about.
Another cause of diarrhea (and sometimes even vomiting) is
flagellates. These are single-celled organisms that invade your pet's intestinal
tract. We diagnose them by looking at a smear of your pet's feces under the
microscope. If diagnosed with this, we will put your pet on a medicine that you
will give to your pet by mouth once or twice daily for approximately 10
days.
Pet owners should be aware that some intestinal parasites could also be
infective to humans. The worm must be at a particularly infective stage for this
to occur and human infection usually involves ingestion. Children are therefore
most commonly infected as they seem to constantly put their hands in their
mouths. Prompt removal of feces, washing hands, and covering sandboxes are
usually sufficient to prevent human infection.
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