Worms In Dogs And Cats

What are Worms?

Worms medical terms: Helminths, Nematodes, Cestodes, Taenia, Echinococcus, Zoonosis, Unthriftiness, Zoonotic, Antihelmintics

Worms or helminths are internal parasites that drain pets of blood and nutrients. Dogs and cats get worms that can be classified by shape into round or flat. Three types of round-shaped worms (nematodes) live in pet intestines: roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Two types of flat-shaped tapeworms (cestodes) live in pet intestines and other organs, including the liver: echinococcus and taenia. Dogs commonly get hooks, whips, rounds, and tapes. Cats commonly get rounds, hooks, and tapes, but not whipworms.

Pets can also get lungworms, esophageal worms, bloodworms, kidney worms, liver flukes, and intestinal protozoa. The most common pet worms are roundworms, and hookworms. Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are not intestinal parasites but are parasites that live in the heart. Heartworms are not spread like regular intestinal worms, but are spread by mosquitoes. They infect both cats and dogs and can cause death.

How do pets get worms?

Puppies and kittens are born with intestinal worms. This occurs because worms resting within the mother’s body are stimulated to grow by hormones secreted during pregnancy. The newly developed worms within the mother pass through the placenta (transplacental) and into the young before they are born. In addition, worms are passed through the mother’s milk (transmammary) to the young. Puppies, kittens, and lactating bitches and queens should be wormed routinely.

Adult pets pick up worms from eggs that stay in the soil after pets have defecated. Some worm eggs survive for years in soil. Pets also pick up worms from

• eating fleas
• catching prey, such as mice and snails
• eating feces of other pets and farm animals

How quickly do worms produce eggs?

A puppy with 10 worms can produce 5 million worm eggs by the time it is six weeks old.

Who Gets Worms?

Almost universally, puppies and kittens have intestinal worms. Puppies and kittens whelped in large kennels or in unhygienic conditions have the greatest worm burdens. Pets using pet parks, doggy day cares with communal potty areas, farmyards, and city streets where feces is on the sidewalk are prone to having worms. Pregnant and lactating females have worms. Pets kept in humane shelters generally have intestinal worms.

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   Date Category Topic 02/26/08  Wormer  WORMS 02/24/08  Wormer  TAPEWORMS 02/23/08  Wormer  WHICH WORMER IS THE BEST FOR MY KITTEN? 02/22/08  Cough  CAT SNEEZING/COUGHING 02/20/08  Other  SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEARTWORMS 02/19/08  Heartworm Medicine  HEART WORM PREVENTION 02/18/08  Other  DOG KEEPS CHEWING AT HERSELF 02/13/08  Wormer  PUPPY WORMS 02/12/08  Other  SEED-LIKE 02/11/08  Cough  COUGHING AND WORMS 02/11/08  Digestive Care  EATING PLANTS, GRASS AND REGULAR VOMITTING 02/08/08  Other  DOGS EATING 02/08/08  Other  WORM SYMTOMS 02/07/08  Cough  COUGH WITH WHITE MUCIS 02/04/08  Digestive Care  TREATING 1 2 3 4 5 »»

 

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