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| Life Cycle of the Roundworm/Hookworm (AnimalGals.Wordpress.com) |
Life Cycle of the Roundworm and Hookworm
There are two routes of infection that your pet can get these intestinal parasites: from the mother and ingestion. If the mother of your puppy or kitten is infected with round or hookworms, it will more than likely be passed through the milk to her babies. Ingestion of infected feces is another common way for your pet to become infected. This route is more common in adult pets.
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| Hookworm Egg Under the Microscope (CDC) |
Getting a Definitive Answer
A stool sample will provide the answers we need to definitively diagnose your pet with hook or roundworms. We look under the microscope to find the presence of the parasites' eggs. However, in some cases we will not find the eggs because the parasites isn't shedding at that time. This is why it is important to do a yearly fecal float to ensure the utmost healthiness of your pet.
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| Roundworm Egg Under the Microscope (Pet-informed) |
Once Inside My Pet, What Do These Parasites Do?
Once the round or hookworm has infected your pet, it will feed on its' intestinal lining. Hookworms will suck the blood of your pet, and "can cause serious blood loss" (Pets and Parasites) if the infection goes untreated. Roundworms can "move into the lungs if the infection is severe, therefore your pet may cough up spaghetti-like worms." (Pets and Parasites)
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| "Spaghetti-like" Roundworm (The Life Tree) |
As stated before, the most common signs that we see in puppies and kittens are diarrhea, swollen belly, weight loss or not gaining weight and vomiting. In some cases, no signs at all are seen. This is normally at the beginning of an infection. If the infection is severe your pet may vomit or defecate the parasite. Owners will commonly report their pet has vomited or defected what looks like spaghetti. This is a definite sign that your pet has one of these two intestinal parasites.
How Do You Treat and Prevent Round and Hookworms?
Deworming can and should be started at your pets' first visit. There are a few products that target these intestinal parasites that can be given if an infection is present. Keeping your pets' environment clean will also help decrease the spreading of round and hookworms.
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| (Animal Pet Doctor) |
Hookworms and Roundworms are zoonotic- meaning that humans are able to get these parasites. It is very rare, however it can happen. As a tech, I do like to educate clients on this. I do not want to persuade anyone from getting a puppy or kitten, but you do need to be aware of everything that can happen if your pet has become infected. Luckily, these parasites are easily treatable in pets, which is why human infection is rare. Contact with infected feces or soil is the main route of infection. Hookworms can also penetrate the skins barrier if one is exposed to infected ground. This can cause an "itching sensation at the site penetrated as well as visible tracks of the parasite on the skin." (Pets and Parasites) Both internal parasites are easily treatable in humans if the infection is seen in the early stages but may cause discomfort.
I hope that you have enjoyed (if you that's the right word for this topic) learning about these two intestinal parasites. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Tenth Street Animal Hospital! We will gladly help you out in anyway that we can!
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| This is a picture of actual roundworms seen in a puppy at TSAH! Don't worry she was treated and will get better in no time! |
-Noelle
*Information for this post was obtained from: Petsandparasites.org and Petmd.com
*Pictures can be found at the links listed in caption.
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