Importance of Deworming in Pet Dogs

Guest post!

Dogs have a regular habit of licking, chewing, slurping anything that comes in their way including dirt, trash, etc. This makes them ideal hosts for worms and parasites.

All the things that they take in their mouth can also most likely be passed to their companions or humans as well which can be dangerous.

Having worms, in fact, is one of the 5 most common dog health problems in India. Before, we understand how deworming can be done. Let’s know what deworming is.

What is Deworming in pet dogs?

Deworming is defined as the process of removing the worms from your pet’s stomach – a periodical process that is done every 3-4 months. For young pups, however, it is recommended to deworm when it is 2-3 weeks old.

Types of worms:

1. Roundworms

Symptoms: Colic, abnormal feces, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal swelling, coughing.

Causes: Most dogs get roundworms once in their lifetime. A common cause is an inheritance from their mother’s milk.

2. Hookworms

Symptoms: Coughing, poor appetite, diarrhea, constipation.

Causes: The worm enters into the puppy’s body through ingestion or milk intake from its mother and from contaminated water or environment.

3. Tapeworms

Symptoms: Low energy, dull coat, weight loss, diarrhea.

Causes: The tapeworm enters into the pup’s body mainly through ingestion like adult fleas. Other strong transmitters that a dog can easily ingest include birds, rodents, etc.

4. Whipworms

Symptoms: swollen abdomen, increased appetite, periodic vomiting.

Causes: The worm can enter the puppy’s body through the contaminated food, flesh, and water.

How do you know that your dog has worms in it?

Look for symptoms like diarrhea, coughing vomiting, breathing issues, or weight loss – if these continue for a few days, it’s time to consult the vet.

Chances are that your dog has worms. It is important to know that you should not self-administer medications since the treatment would always depend on the type of worm and where it is living in the dog’s body.

Why is deworming in pet dogs is important?

Deworming in general is important for the dog’s health and fitness. With worms, come the accompanying problems of loss in appetite, skin problems, and other diseases which can then worsen.

The sooner the worms are gone, the sooner your pet will be healthy and fine again. As puppies catch worms more often so it is important to deworm your pup regularly.

There are several types of worms out of which the most common is the roundworm which enters into your dog’s body through food, water, air, etc, and causes harm to the body by distributing its multiples in muscles, kidneys, and tissues, etc.

Apart from this, worms can cause severe problems to human kids as well. The eggs of the worms can be ingested by the children also and lead to similar symptoms in them.

Hence, good hygiene precautions should be taken by kids playing with their dogs. And the dogs should be regularly dewormed.

The best way to prevent worms is by preventive alertness. By controlling the pests that carry worms (fleas and mosquitoes) and by keeping your house and yard clean, you can prevent this problem. Also, make sure you know what foods you can feed your dog and what is bad for them.

Here are some simple ways to keep the worms away from you and your dog:

1. Make sure your vet checks the worms in your dog at least once every six months.

2. To prevent your dog from heartworms, get a prescription from the vet and give it to your dog once in a month or whenever needed as prescribed.

3. Keep your dog away from fleas. You can apply an anti-flea medicine to your dog’s skin to prevent it from worms or infections.

4. Wash your hands regularly especially after you pick up their waste.

5. Always clear your yard at least weekly in order to avoid insects and fleas.

Thus, always keep your pet dewormed to keep it healthy and fit. Contact your vet in case of any severe symptom for its treatment and give it the proper dose as required.

It is important to deworm your dog regularly, especially if you are living in an exposed area where there are chances of infections. Always consult the vet whenever your dog behaves in a strange manner and seems to have a sudden loss in appetite or weight.

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