Always wear gloves when handling any soil, especially that which may have come in contact with dog feces. Humans can contract roundworms through contact with contaminated soil, potentially leading to a serious condition called Visceral Larva Migrans. Note: Several types of heartworm prevention also protect against roundworms.
Your veterinarian is the best source for this medication. Be aware that not all over-the-counter dewormers are effective. Because puppies are so commonly affected, they are routinely dewormed (whether or not eggs are seen microscopically) during their first few sets of puppy vaccines. Deworming only kills the worms in the intestinal tract, so repeated doses are necessary to kill newly developing adult worms. Treatment of roundworms involves multiple oral doses of deworming medication. Roundworm eggs are microscopically visible in the stool if adult roundworms are present in the small intestine. Your veterinarian can test a sample of stool from your dog for worms by running a lab test called fecal flotation. Many dogs will show no signs of infection at first. Signs of roundworm infection include diarrhea, vomiting, pot-bellied appearance, coughing (dogs may cough up or vomit worms), weight loss, and dull hair coat.
The life-cycle is repeated when another host ingests the larvae. Their eggs are shed in the dog's stool and develop into larvae. The adult roundworms live in the dog's intestines. While developing into adult worms, they travel to the lungs, are coughed up by the dog and then swallowed. Once ingested, larvae make their way to the dog's liver. In addition, nursing puppies may ingest roundworm larvae in their mothers' milk. Puppies are born with roundworms after contracting them from their mother's uterus during gestation. These worms look a lot like spaghetti or angel hair pasta.Īdult dogs get roundworms from ingesting roundworm larvae, usually from contaminated soil or infected prey (such as a mouse or other small mammal). The adult roundworm is round, white to light brown in color, and several inches long. They are especially common in puppies.Īdult roundworms live in the intestinal tracts of their hosts, consuming that host's food. Roundworms ( Toxocara Canis, Toxascaris leonine) are the most common intestinal parasites in dogs. Science Photo Library/ERIC GRAVE/Getty Images
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