One of the major problems that dog owners encounter is the dog worm. The two most common types of dog worms are round and tape worms. It can lead to a host of symptoms such as hacking cough, pale lips, watery eyes, foul breath, and dry nose. Noticing these symptoms in the dog is cause for alarm and worry, and the dog will be in such a sorry state that they should be brought to the veterinarian right away.
Fecal-Oral Route
Round worms normally lodge in the dog’s digestive track, usually in the small intestines or in a few cases, the stomach. They are so-named because they usually lodge in the intestines in a coiled pattern. The digestive tract is like a long tube which can be obstructed by these worms and prevent normal gastrointestinal function.
The dog worms reproduce by the millions. It is easy to understand how the sheer number of these egg worms can overwhelm a whole kennel of dogs in one place. Besides, they develop just as fast. Most commonly, the eggs of these worms are embedded in the feces of the dogs. The feces if left unattended can be found all over the area, and the next dog is sure to catch those eggs one way or another. Should one dog have these worms in the stomach, the next dog can be easily infected. The eggs can latch on the fur or the paw. The unaware dog then starts licking himself clean and end up taking in the egg and develop the symptoms created by these parasites. In a span of ten days, the worms become mature worms and ready to wreck havoc on the poor dog and start creating their own baby eggs.
Signs and Symptoms
Affected dogs exhibit contrasting symptoms. One day, they can get really hungry like they have never eaten for a long time. On the next, they start acting like they have been fed several times within the day already. As if these symptoms were not enough to contend with, even in sleep they experience gastrointestinal troubles and intestinal sounds.
Sorrier sights can be seen with infected puppies. Because of their small size, their stomach looks disproportionate to their entire body and quite distended after feeding. The puppy’s skin also turns scaly. Owners also notice that the puppy has a hard time moving their bowels. Since they are sick, they are less active and are playing less with other puppies than what is usually expected from their young age. They end up becoming weaker and more lethargic. If left unchecked, they can waste away and die with the worms as the only proof of their misery.
It is the owner, more so for any breeder, who has to take the responsibility of taking care of their dog’s physical state. If the dog is acting differently or exhibiting symptoms, they should be taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Also, deworming is readily available in any veterinarian office so they should be taken there to get proper medical attention.
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Source: www.articledashboard.com