Causes of Worms-Little Buddy Gifts

DUKE'S KIBBLE:

Causes of Worms in Dogs and What You Can Do About It
By Nat Williams

If your dog is a puppy, chances are that you have at least heard about the problems that worms can pose to their well-being. Worms are a common affliction for dogs, specifically those under six to eight months of age. They are as common as flea bites and just as simple to eliminate, if not simpler - if you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing and you are a first time dog owner, that is okay too; your vet should know everything that you don't know about worms and how to take care of the situation. Just in case, here are the basic facts and causes of worms in dogs.

Roundworms

Roundworms are the worms that are most commonly found in pups, and they are easy to eliminate. Generally, you can buy a treatment for roundworms that is given to your dog orally; they will release the worms through their stool, dead later on. Puppies who suffer from roundworms tend to have round, bulging bellies even if they haven't eaten all day and the pot-belly ailment can get progressively worse as these worms can grow up to seven inches or more in length. The causes of worms in dogs as far as roundworms are concerned are in the soil; these worms can lay eggs that are covered by a hard shell. The eggs come out in a dog's stool and can live in the soil for as long as it takes for them to be ingested. Once the dog swallows the soil, the worm larvae travels up the dog's throat, finally landing in the intestine where they grow unless they are destroyed. Outside of soil contamination, mother dogs can transfer roundworms to their puppies during pregnancy.

Hookworms

Hookworms are another type of commonly found parasitic worm. The causes of worms in dogs of this type are highly similar to roundworms. Like roundworms, they can come into contact with dogs through pregnancy or infested soil. This is a type of parasite that is commonly found in puppies and if left untreated, it can kill a puppy so it is imperative to ensure that puppies are dewormed, even if you are not sure whether or not they are infected.

These are just a couple of the numerous different types of parasitic worms that can harm your dog. If you suspect that your dog is infected with worms, the best thing that you can do for him or her is to take them to the veterinarian. Deworming services are fairly inexpensive and a stool check and standard deworming is usually part of the routine checkup for younger dogs. Be sure to clean up your dog's excrement from the yard as often as you can and consult your vet if you are in doubt. While they can infect adults and even people, these types of worms are more common in dogs and can kill if not treated properly.