Helminthic invasion in dogs develops when there are parasites in the body - worms. This is a common phenomenon, most often pets suffer from the disease, whose owners do not follow the most common rules of prevention. Veterinarians often talk about the symptoms and treatment of helminthic infestations in dogs. It must be borne in mind that negligence in this matter leads to a threat to humans.
Hazardous species
Among the dangerous varieties, echinococcosis, toxacorosis, dipylidiosis and a number of other diseases are distinguished. Moreover, even if helminthic invasion in dogs is caused by species that are not dangerous to the human body, it nevertheless leaves its negative imprint.
After all, the larvae of worms that do not develop in the body, in any case, when passing through it, will poison it with metabolic products. And do not be surprised that subsequently colds will often develop, allergic reactions will manifest themselves, it is unclear what exactly.
Varieties of worms in dogs
In the canine organism, 3 varieties of worms develop - nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes. They are different in appearance, structure, location, danger. But signs of helminthic invasion in dogs in any case adversely affect animal health. The degree of danger will depend on the immunity of the pet, the pathogenicity of the parasites.
Effect on condition
Larvae of parasites, penetrating into the vessels of the circulatory system, spread throughout the body, and then settle in the internal organs. As a result of such movements, tissues suffer, and the course of the metabolic process is disrupted.
In addition, the stitching and cutting structure of the oral apparatus of this kind of worms can cause injuries to the gastrointestinal tract, which provokes bleeding and inflammation. If dogs or puppies have severe helminthic invasion, there are risks that the intestines will be blocked, and this will provoke a rupture of this internal organ.
Parasites constantly poison the host's body, which leads to the appearance of many diseases. This affects the functioning of the nervous system. For this reason, in dogs and puppies it is considered a symptom of helminthic invasion, the presence of seizures, alternating oppression and agitation, disturbances in the hormonal background, in metabolic processes.
At the same time, the presence of injuries in the internal organs creates the prerequisites for dangerous microorganisms of a different kind to settle here. And often the clinic of helminthic invasion in dogs is accompanied by infections. Viruses, bacteria rapidly affect the body of a weakened pet.
In addition, worms feed on blood, lymph, and host food. As a result, a symptom of helminthic invasion in dogs is a weakening of the body. The pet is losing weight, suffering from vitamin deficiency, impaired metabolism. In many ways, the symptoms of helminthic invasion in dogs depend on the location of the worms in the body. Worms are pulmonary, hepatic, intestinal, cardiac.
Intestinal helminths
The most common group are intestinal worms. They are also called toxacars. They develop from eggs that the host swallows. The eggs are fixed in the intestines, and then larvae appear from here, they penetrate the circulatory system through the mucous membranes. Parasites thus penetrate the lungs, and then cough in the mouth. After secondary swallowing, the larvae become sexually mature females or males. Symptoms of helminthic invasion in dogs in this case will be manifested in the fact that puppies will lag behind in growth and development. A sick pet will refuse meals.
The defeat of the body by this disease is also manifested in a swollen abdomen, discharge in the eyes. There may be problems with appetite, the mucous membranes are pale, there are diarrhea, constipation. It must be borne in mind that the self-diagnosis of helminthic invasion helps the examination of animal feces. After all, having lived about 6 months, worms leave the body in this way. Sometimes worms leave it earlier than this period - for example, due to the development of an infection or a violation of a different kind. In fact, in the absence of treatment, helminthic invasion in dogs is the cause of constant intoxication of the body. The dog gets infected again and again.
Heartworms
In the absence of treatment, helminthic invasion in puppies and dogs is worst of all when it comes to cardiac helminths. Parasites of this kind are also dangerous for the human body. Despite the fact that in humans they do not develop to the final stage, hardly anyone wants to have worms in their blood.
Dirofilariasis is a vector-borne disease. This means that the body becomes infected through mosquito bites, during which parasite larvae are injected into the blood. In the absence of treatment for helminthic invasion in dogs, parasites clog the blood vessels leading to the heart. This is fatal. For this reason, it is important to diagnose the disease in the early stages.
Pay attention to what occurs in a dog with helminthic invasion cough. The pet may begin to breathe with difficulty, his pulse will slow down, arrhythmia may begin. Also, sometimes there are swelling, cramps, lack of appetite, general weakness of the body.
Hepatic helminths
The group of parasites living in the liver manifests itself quite clearly - we are talking about flukes. You can easily become infected with this parasite from raw fish. Symptoms of helminthic invasion in dogs in this case are exhaustion, disheveled hair. Sometimes there is the development of ascites, fluid accumulation in the abdominal region. On palpation, an increase in the liver, its soreness, tuberosity is detected.
Pulmonary helminths
In a canine organism, nematodes rarely develop. The development of helminthic invasion of this type may begin due to the eating of land mollusks, snails. In an urban environment, it is difficult to find such creatures. In addition, dogs often spend time with their owners, and are unlikely to find time to search for and eat mollusks. However, do not forget about the risk that still exists to face this disease.
The main symptom of pulmonary infestation is a cough, which antibiotics and other drugs can not cope with. Also, the pet may begin to sneeze, suffer from a runny nose. In this case, the cough will be stronger at night. Small bronchi will gradually become clogged, and the process can lead to focal pneumonia. These symptoms are accompanied by anemia, emaciation, the hair becomes tousled, it clearly looks worse than usual.
Helminthic invasion treatment
An integrated approach is needed in treatment. Medicines are not selected by the owners themselves on a hunch, but after a thorough diagnosis and special medical recommendations. It is important that the pet's feces are examined in the laboratory. Diagnosis is sometimes possible when the worms themselves come out together with feces due to overpopulation in the body, and then in appearance the doctor himself will determine which species they belong to.
A number of anthelmintic drugs contribute to the fact that the worms have nothing to eat, and some drugs contribute to paralysis of the neuromuscular apparatus of parasites. And only the veterinarian will understand what means are needed in this particular case.
Milbemax
This tool is often the owners prescribe to their pets on their own. Most often, such prevention is carried out before giving the dog an annual vaccination. After all, because of the weakened immune forces of the body, the pet may not respond to the vaccine.
Give the drug in the morning on an empty stomach. You should not avoid inspection of feces, because parasites that are still alive or dead can be found there. And this will be evidence that the invasion is quite strong. It is important to repeat taking the funds. In this case, the repetition is carried out after different periods, taking into account the individual characteristics of the pets and the nuances during their illness.
The main active component of the drug is a substance that affects both adult worms and larvae. Ultimately, the drug becomes essentially universal. Get it at a veterinary pharmacy.
Other medicines
In addition, Drontal is popular. It is aimed at eliminating precisely intestinal helminths, and therefore it can be used only with the prescription of a veterinarian.
It should be borne in mind that parasites show addiction to drugs. If you choose the wrong dosage, then only weak individuals will die, and strong ones will become resistant to medicinal substances, they will give even more stable, strong offspring. And then with helminthic invasion in dogs it will be even more difficult to cope.
In order to avoid the formation of addiction, it is necessary to prevent infection of the pet with helminths, and also use different medications every time. In this case, the alternation should be carried out not according to the company names, but according to the main substance.
Side effect
A number of pet owners of small breeds complain that anthelmintic drugs are toxic. And as side effects in pets, vomiting, foam from the mouth, and nervousness are manifested. They can refuse to eat, and in some cases there is even a fatal outcome. But the latter is nothing more than rumors.
The natural reaction of the body to taking drugs of this variety is the presence of malaise. It passes without a trace after a day. Lethal outcomes occur only in cases when the treatment is carried out too diligently: for example, the owner gives the pet a full range of drugs to surely kill the parasites. A young animal dies in cases where the body has already been too much depleted of helminths. When the drugs destroyed them, the dead worms released too many toxins.
Allergic reactions are sometimes manifested, but they are provoked by the initial individual characteristics of a particular individual. In cases where an animal is allergic to the drug, anthelmintic drugs are combined with antihistamines.
Immunity and Worms
The response of the immune system to worms is different from that of infections. In relation to helminths, the body almost never develops resistance. And even if some immunity appears, it will only be a temporary effect, and soon the acquired property will come to naught. The immune properties of the body can lead to the weakening of worms, to reduce their number. It should be borne in mind that an excessive amount of parasites can saturate the body of a dog with itself to such an extent that it will die from anaphylactic shock.
It is possible to increase the protective properties of the canine organism by providing the pet with full nutrition, proper maintenance, daily walks in the fresh air. It must be borne in mind that in different individuals the symptomatology will significantly differ when they are affected by helminths.
Often, a disease of this type proceeds in a latent form, and the owner does not even realize that there are pathologies in the pet's body. This is due to the fact that the overall health of each individual is different. The body can handle invasion in completely different ways.
How does infection happen?
Most helminths, the presence of which is noted on the territory of Russia, enter the body of their victim through the gastrointestinal tract. An exception is dirofilariasis, since infection with it occurs through mosquito bites.
Usually, pets become infected with worms because they are kept in unsanitary conditions, because they eat raw, not cooked meat, fish. But if the pets eat quality dry food, the probability of infection for them is reduced, provided that they live in an apartment.
Still, constant vigilance is required. After all, helminth eggs can penetrate the home on the sole of the shoe and on the hands. For example, if a person stroking a stray animal on the street.
Prevention
The main way to ensure the prevention of helminthic invasion to your pet is to prevent infection due to the timely intake of medicines for parasites, and also to keep the dog in clean rooms.
In addition, veterinarians recommend that a dog undergo chemoprophylaxis every 3 months. Although if we are talking about small dogs, which are mostly in the apartment, the term increases up to once every 6 months.
It is also important to regularly conduct wet cleaning of the floor at home, while it is necessary to use disinfectants. This fully applies to the hallway, where the shoes remain. It is necessary to wash and dog accessories - bowls, rubber toys. Do not forget to periodically wash or vacuum clean your pet’s bench.
It is safer to feed your dog with high-quality purchased food. But if the owner prefers to feed the pet with natural products, it is worth giving preference to meat and fish, which have passed veterinary and sanitary examinations. We are talking about specialized stores. And do not take meat from anyone unknown. In addition, it is by no means recommended to give the dog meat raw - it is important to first expose the product to the most thorough heat treatment. During walks, it is worth avoiding potentially dangerous areas of the terrain - landfills, do not contact with homeless animals.
Conclusion
Thanks to the vigilance of the owner, compliance with all kinds of veterinary regulations is not difficult to save the pet from the risk of encountering helminthic invasion. A disease of this kind is always easier to prevent than to treat. After all, it can be extremely dangerous.