Worms range from the half-inch- long hookworms to the flat, segmented tapeworms that can reach three feet in length but in most cases, worm detection is easy and treatment is effective.
Symptoms
- Dull haircoat,
- Bloated round swollen belly,
- Pale gums
- Anemia,
- Licking around the anus,
- Dragging the bottom along a floor
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea,
- Blood or mucus in the stool,
- Passing worms in the stool or in the vomit.
- Puppies may also cry when picked up if the guts are full of worms and may seem uncomfortable at rest.
Hookworms
- The hookworm is a parasitic that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a Hookworms are evil little creatures that feed off the intestinal walls.
- Hookworms have either teeth-like structures or cutting plates with which they attach themselves to the wall of the intestine and feed on the animal's blood.
- They are passed to other animals through soil, where eggs have been laid. These are incredibly easy to contract. The larvae that live in the soil can enter the body through the feet and travel throughout the system until they reach the intestines where they stay to feed off of blood and lay eggs that shed once again, in feces and contaminate the ground.
Tapeworms
- Tapeworms are long, segmented worms that live in an infected person's or animal's intestines. These are most often noticed when the worms start to shed segments full of eggs, which are often found around the anus, or in stools. These segments look like grains of rice when dry, but are squishy and may be moving when fresh.
- Tapeworms are spread by ingesting fleas that have eaten the eggs, or by ingesting egg sacs from feces.
Roundworms
- The most common of internal parasites beside Tapeworms, roundworms frequently infect pets. They look suspiciously like thin spaghetti noodles and can often be found in feces with the naked eye.
- Roundworms absorb nutrients from what the animal eats, interfere with digestion, and can damage the lining of the intestine.
- The worms are usually heavy-bodied and grow to about 6" in length.
Whipworm - These are long, whip-shaped worms that are ingested either from the feces of infected animals, or spread through other bodily fluids. They are found in the colons of animals, and shed eggs through feces approximately three months later.
Links
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1622&articleid=747
http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/wormsdog.html
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