Any pet can become infected with parasites, even with proper care. Helminth eggs are found in raw meat and fish, in water or land. One has only to give poorly cooked food once or not notice how your dog picked up something on the street and ate, and you can expect the parasites to start attacking the pet. In this article, we will tell you how to determine the presence of helminths in a dog in time. What are the worms in dogs fraught with, can they be infected by contact with a pet, how to cure an animal from parasites and what are the best ways to prevent it?
The main reasons for the appearance
Helminthiasis is a serious disease that is an infection with worms. Parasites are dangerous because they are difficult to recognize or remove from the body in time. The smallest eggs of the worms cannot be seen with the naked eye, and they are detected only by laboratory means. They are distinguished by a special “survivability”, withstanding even the acidic environment of the stomach, and some are resistant to too low and high temperatures.
Worm eggs occur through raw meat and fish, ponds, puddles, unprocessed foods, street items, and even feces. Keeping track of your pet is almost impossible, because the dogs always gnaw and sniff something, they just have to go outside. That is why it is impossible to completely remove worms from the dog’s body, but you can only prevent their abundant reproduction and damage to the walls of internal organs and the central nervous system, blood poisoning and intoxication.
The first sign: a violation of the gastrointestinal tract
When worms appear in a dog, it may experience the following symptoms: an excessively increased appetite or its absence at all, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, a change in diet (abandonment of the usual food, switching to unnatural products for the pet).
Second symptom: changes in dog behavior
Worms in dogs cause depression and apathy. Take a look at your pet: has his behavior changed? If your dog has become dull, lethargic, and does not react to outdoor games, then it's time to start worrying. In the first stages, parasites do not affect the central nervous system, so their presence does not give them away. The dog can also actively run, jump, delight you, but as soon as the number of worms reaches a critical point, the dog’s behavior changes dramatically. Please note that a dog infected with parasites can behave extremely restlessly, scratch oneself for no reason and even tear out its coat. If the worms annoy the pet, then it becomes aggressive, and sleep is disturbed.
Third symptom: clear symptoms appear
Worms in dogs affect not only appetite and behavior, but also appearance. Perform a thorough inspection of the dog. If the mucous membranes of the mouth become whitish, the hair begins to fall out more abundant than usual, and the skin shows signs of diseases such as eczema or dermatosis, then it is time to contact the veterinarian for help. The specialist should not only examine the pet, but also take blood, feces for analysis. As a rule, if a dog has worms, then hemoglobin decreases, anemia is noted. If the dog is infected with heart or pulmonary worms, then shortness of breath, severe cough, shortness of breath may be present.
The fourth symptom: the presence of parasites in the feces
Once again walking the dog, do not hesitate to study his feces. Of course, it is impossible to make out eggs, but the presence of live parasites is very easy. Worms cause itching of the anus, and not only in animals, but also in humans. Therefore, the dog can often lick itself and just itch. Sometimes a dog gives a lot of inconvenience to the owners by rolling their buttocks on the floor, carpet or furniture, trying to get rid of uninvited guests. If you suspect the presence of worms in the dog after this behavior, then feel its belly - with parasites it is swollen and bulging unnaturally, especially if this has not been noted before.
Worm disposal tips
Parasites are insidious, so a simple change in diet will not save the pet from torment. It is also important not to ignore changes in behavior, paying attention to all associated symptoms. Treatment for worms in a dog should be carried out only by a qualified specialist, based on the results of the analyzes. In the worst case scenario, your pet may simply die from intoxication.
- First, never feed animals with raw and poorly processed foods. Even if your dog loves cucumbers, then they need to give them only clean, and not just brought from the store. As mentioned above, parasites live perfectly on any surface, and sometimes even warm running water will not help get rid of them. Meat and fish must be cooked or stewed before feeding these products to the dog.
- Secondly, if you find worms, try to reduce the contact of pets with children and adults. To do this, you do not need to throw, give or send the dog to the street. It is enough only to touch it less, and after any contact, wash your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap.
- Thirdly, do not forget to carry out regular cleaning. Wash floors with antibacterial agents, do not let your pet go to bed or even make up a bed, treat the surfaces of furniture, clothes and linen with a steam iron every night (you can use a household steam generator).
Guidelines for hosts
Do not rush to panic and think out where to give your pet if he has parasites. Now there are many effective drugs for worms for dogs that will save the dog from torment and from possible consequences. However, in order to achieve maximum results and prevent relapse, it is necessary to conduct a course of treatment not only for the pet, but also for all family members.
When worms are detected in an animal, then, most likely, parasitic eggs have also entered your body. That is why you need to get rid of them all together, giving anthelmintic drugs to other pets (for example, cats). But do not self-medicate and ignore preventive measures, even if some family member is sure that he does not have worms.
Best of the Best: Kaniquantel Plus
This is a combination drug that consists of fenbendazole (500 milligrams) and praziquantel (50 milligrams). Of course, from the last active substance they make a no less effective drug of the same name, but it is more dangerous for the health of the pet. Kaniquantel Plus can be given without preliminary analysis of microflora sensitivity.
The drug effectively fights flat helminths, as well as trematodes and nematodes. Cleaning is not recommended if your dog has offspring. Compared to many analogs, Kanikvantel Plus is really able to help a pet, at the same time at a relatively low cost.
The dosage is calculated on the basis of 10 kilograms of the animal’s body weight, but before use, carefully read the instructions. For example, EURACON PHARMA GmbH produces an anthelmintic drug, where one tablet is designed for 20 kg of a pet. But “Kanikvantel Plus” has one significant minus - the dog does not like the taste of the medicine, so you need to give it along with a treat or forcibly.
Effective, cheap, but not angry: Drontal Plus
Perhaps this is one of the best remedies for worms for dogs. First of all, because Drontal Plus is chosen by a large number of people, because it contains not just praziquantel (50 milligrams), but also a pyrantel embonate (144 mg) along with febantel (150 milligrams).
The drug acts as carefully as possible, destroying trematodes and round helminths. In addition, parasites are easily eliminated from the body naturally, without causing toxicity in the pet. As in the first embodiment, it is not recommended to give an anthelmintic to pregnant females or to give, but under the strict supervision of a veterinarian.
You should buy this medication only at trusted pet stores and veterinary clinics. You can encounter a fake analogue, which costs significantly lower than the original (on average, for 1 single package, in which 6 tablets, you can give at least 800 rubles). Drontal Plus, like Kaniquantel Plus, has a minimal number of side effects, unlike the following drug.
Effective, but Dangerous and Expensive: Milbemax
Dog worm pills are a real miracle of pharmaceuticals. These proven granules, capsules, gels or powders have long saved thousands of pets from parasites that lead the animal to inevitable death. Milbemax, although effective, should be used with extreme caution, as it is not suitable for puppies whose age has not reached two weeks, as well as for shepherd dogs, such as sheltie, collie and others. Therefore, before giving your pet this tool, you need to consult a specialist, otherwise there may be complications and disorders in the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Due to the fact that such tablets from worms for dogs contain milbemycin oxime (at least 2.5 milligrams), they are able to destroy cestodes and nematodes.
What is the danger of anthelmintic drugs
Treatment of worms in dogs should be prescribed only by a qualified specialist, based on the body weight of the animal, its breed, and individual intolerance. In addition, there are several types of parasites that affect not only the intestines, but also the lungs, liver, heart and soft tissues. That is why worms are not always detected when studying pet feces.
- The main danger of prescribing the wrong anthelmintic drugs is animal intoxication. After the first dose, parasites die, but in most cases are not excreted independently from the body. Being in the organs, the worms begin to decompose, releasing dangerous toxins that can cause shock, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and epilepsy.
- As mentioned above, shepherd dogs should not be given some anthelmintic, because they adversely affect the liver and kidneys, causing complications.
- Each remedy fights certain parasites. Therefore, you can not give, even for preventive purposes, any anthelmintic drugs indiscriminately and without prior consultation.
Universal Tools List
If worms were found in a dog (you can see the photo of the infection and reproduction cycle of parasites below), then you should pay attention to the most popular drugs that effectively fight various types of parasites, ranging from round tapeworms to nematodes:
- Febtal, Prazitsid, Alben S. These three drugs are universal, as they fight tapeworms and roundworms, and also actively relieve their larvae.
- "Pyradec". The drug is effective against nematodes. It is often prescribed if the specialist has diagnosed such as hookworm, toxocariasis, toxascaridosis.
- Stronghold. Perhaps this is really a universal remedy, because it saves the animal not only from roundworms and hookworms, but also fights with ear mites, adversely affects flea eggs and prevents them from developing in the undercoat of the dog.
- Troncil. Like "Pyradek", it fights with nematodes, as well as with roundworms and whipworms.
- "Vermidin." An inexpensive tool that is sold in any pharmacy. It is given for preventive purposes or against one type of parasite.
- "The Histaral". More expensive anthelmintic, because it attracts animals and does not make the process of deworming painful, nervous and stressful. It fights with nematodes and cestodes, while dogs willingly absorb the necessary medicine themselves, because it smells of meat.
Reviews and opinions of dog breeders
Numerous reviews will help you figure out exactly how anthelmintic drugs work. Dozens of different drugs are prescribed for dogs from worms, but what effect each of them will have on your pet is not known. What to fear and how to prevent complications?
- The most popular and proven pharmacy products are Drontal, Polyvercan and Cestal Plus. They are prescribed by most veterinarians, and the drugs themselves can easily be found in any pet store in the city. But you should be afraid of fakes, they are much cheaper than the originals.
- Cheaper analogues are very difficult to give the animal. As a rule, the smell does not attract them, so the owners, as noted in the reviews, have to take extreme measures to force the dog to drink a pill or capsule.
- An overdose is dangerous to the life of the pet. You can’t give “an extra pill for sure,” otherwise you may encounter vomiting, diarrhea, and dog weakness - at best.
Always pay attention to the signs of worms in the dog and, if you notice suspicious symptoms, immediately contact a specialist. Do not spare money for an initial examination and sampling of feces, blood. In the worst case, you can lose the animal, especially if the dog is still a puppy and you took it not from breeders with a veterinary passport, but from strangers, unverified people.