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small
talk
07
Recent studies have shown that pet owners often require
a gentle nudge in the form of a reminder to ensure their
animals are sufficiently protected against all types of
internal parasites.
Some of the symptoms
you may see in an
animal are listed below,
although it may be that
your pet shows little or
no
symptoms
at all:
l
Weight loss
l
Dry coat
l
General poorly appearance
l
Diarrhoea (may contain
blood)
l
Vomiting (may contain
worms)
T
here are two main
categories of worms that
pose a risk of infection in
our much loved companions,
one being Roundworms, also
known as
‘Nematodes’
.
The following worms
are all
roundworms
that could infect your
dog or cat:
l
Ascarids
l
Hookworms
l
Whipworms
l
Heartworm
l
Lungworm
l
Capillaria
The next family of worms is
Tapeworms, also known as
‘Cestodes’
. These are flat in
appearance and gather in the
intestines of animals. There
are not as many types of
tapeworms and transmission
between pets is different from
roundworms.
Some worms such as
Toxocara
Canis
are zoonotic, meaning
they are transmissible to
humans. Basic hygiene around
the house and garden can help
prevent both you and your dog
being infected with these
worms. Picking up your animal’s
faeces in your garden and
public areas will reduce the
risk of worm eggs in the
environment. Children are at a
higher risk of infection, so it is
a good idea to ensure they
wash their hands before eating
and especially after handling
puppies who may not have
been wormed. This will help to
control the spread of
Toxocara
Canis
in particular.
Worming pregnant bitches
and the pups when born is vital
in making sure the pups thrive
and the bitch has a healthy
pregnancy. An infestation of
worms can make animals
very ill.
Treatment of worms is usually
as straight forward as giving
a tablet or spot on treatment.
This will clear the worms out
of your dog or cat’s system
and any symptoms they may
have had should resolve. These
treatments do not have any
lasting effects and this is why
regular worm treatment is
essential in keeping a happy
and healthy pet. All of our
pets will become infested with
worms, so prevention, by the
regular administration of
an appropriate wormer, is
essential.
Just ask your vet
which product they would
recommend for you to give
your pets.