Dog diseases are often associated with damage to the body by various parasites. This is not always the result of eating garbage on a walk, although pets often sin in this occupation. In the external environment there are quite a large number of parasite eggs, so infection can occur spontaneously. Later in the article we will talk about what is toxocariasis in dogs.
general description
Toxocara is a fairly large nematode of white or light yellow color. The body is spindle-shaped, covered with cuticle, in addition, it has cervical cuticular wings, which form a hood on the head. Length from 5 to 18 cm. The tail end of the male is bent, and in the female it is straight, conical. The mouth opening is framed by thick lips. The maximum life expectancy is 6 months.
According to statistics, every second dog is a carrier of this parasite. Therefore, you must carefully follow the recommendations of the veterinarian and timely deworming. Toxocariasis in dogs is manifested in many ways. Sometimes we begin to treat our pets from non-existent diseases, but in fact, it was necessary to rid them of parasites.
Causes of the disease
The small intestine and stomach are an excellent habitat for this parasite. Over the course of 6 months, the female manages to lay about 200 thousand eggs. They leave the body with feces. However, fresh bowel movements are not contagious. The egg must ripen, which will take him about 30 days. After that, it is able to remain viable for about two years.
That is why toxocariasis in dogs is practically incurable. A healthy animal that sleeps on a clean litter and eats properly cooked food can easily find the pathogen eggs by chewing grass on the site. You yourself bring them home on the sole of the shoe.
Often, toxocariasis in dogs is congenital. A pregnant female is not subjected to anthelmintic procedures, so she has every chance of becoming infected. In this case, the larvae also affect puppies. That is, they are born already being carriers of parasites. If you do not take action, the puppy will begin to hurt and will most likely die.
Parasite development
The egg enters the digestive tract and roundworm development begins. The larva that hatched here moves with the food into the small intestine. After focusing the wall of the latter, the helminth enters the blood vessel and, together with the blood, reaches the liver, heart or lung. Most often they settle in the lungs, where they live for about two weeks. Because of this, dogs begin to cough, they develop bronchitis. Together with sputum, the larva again appears in the gastrointestinal tract. Here she develops into a mature individual.
Temporary shelter of nematodes are the lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys or muscles. Symptoms of toxocariasis in dogs will depend on which organ was affected. In this case, doctors may suspect heart, kidney or pulmonary failure. If the larva enters the muscle, then it is encapsulated, and this leads to an abscess.
Symptoms
What should a loving host pay attention to? First of all, on the deworming scheme. Starting from the age of two weeks, it is necessary to regularly feed the recommended preparations to the pet. Of course, they are also toxic, therefore, preventive measures are often not recommended. But if you notice one or more of these symptoms, then an extraordinary course is needed. If the treatment of toxocariasis in the dog is carried out at an early stage, then it will take much less time, and the effectiveness will be high.
The first symptoms are:
- Loss of appetite.
- The development of anemia.
- Vomiting and indigestion.
If you notice that your pet's constipation is replaced by severe diarrhea, then you need to pay attention to the veterinarian. The infected dog is nervous, its behavior is changing. Helminths may vomit. Intestinal colic occurs, which is accompanied by a refusal of food. Often bronchopneumonia develops.
Allergic reactions
Parasites do not just live in the intestines. They feed on its contents and poison the body with their secretions. As a result, the well-being of the animal deteriorates sharply. This is especially true for puppies, whose body is still very tender and sensitive to intoxication.
Puppies begin to bark for a long time. They are lagging behind in development. If a blood test is done, then a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells can be noted. But eosinophils and white blood cells are becoming more. Often it is in young individuals that helminth infection is accompanied by allergic reactions, expressed as follows:
- baldness of certain areas of the skin;
- eczema or allergic dermatitis;
- intolerable itching;
- their hair loses its attractiveness, beauty and luster;
- the stomach is enlarged;
- puppies have a strong cough, it lasts about two weeks, and then passes, but the condition does not improve, because the growing parasites move into the digestive tract and continue to poison the body with their secretions;
- in advanced cases, you can see how, together with feces, parasites go outside - this means that the stomach is full of them.
Getting started treatment
First of all, you need to contact a veterinarian and make a diagnosis. Symptoms can indicate dozens of different diseases. After a general examination, the doctor will take a fecal analysis, after which he can make a conclusion. Now you can already think about how to treat the dog for toxocariasis.
Today, the most effective drugs are those that include piperazine. In pharmacies, you can find many analogues:
- Pyrantel tablets;
- piperazine salts;
- Nilverm;
- Mebendazole tablets.
The treatment of toxocariasis in dogs at home is very successful. The most important thing is not to delay. Even at an early stage, the disease is very dangerous for the puppy’s life, but taking drugs allows you to quickly expel parasites from the animal’s body.
Body recovery
Do not forget about the activities carried out by parasites in the body. If their presence in the body caused, for example, bronchopneumonia, then after the expulsion of nematodes, it is necessary to treat this disease. Therefore, most often requires observation by a veterinarian for a long time.
It is important that you and your loved ones not become infected by the pet. To do this, it is enough to limit communication with him for a while. For example, you should not take it in your hands for some time. Of course, you need to observe basic hygiene rules: wash your hands often with soap and floors with a disinfectant.
Modern drugs
And today, the development of medicines that help fight dogs with toxocariasis continues. Milbemax is one of the latest and most effective drugs. It destroys not only round, but also tapeworms, as it has a wide spectrum of action. Due to the characteristics of the composition, he fights simultaneously with adults and larvae.
Milbemax destroys the body of parasites, paralyzes their muscles. Thanks to its quick action, helminths are eliminated from the body within a few days. The drug belongs to the class of moderately toxic. Therefore, before his appointment, consultation with a doctor is necessary. Usually a single dose is sufficient. This is enough to cope with adults and larvae.
Instead of a conclusion
Pets are affected by helminths. Therefore, throughout their lives it is necessary to carry out preventive measures. The first time a drug from nematodes is fed to puppies at the age of 2-3 weeks. After two weeks, the procedure must be repeated. In two months, another deworming is performed. And for adult dogs, drugs are fed every three months, with a mandatory repetition after 12 days.