Dog worms may be miniscule, but they can cause serious damage to your pet if nothing is being done about them. There are many kinds of worms that infect our pets, a few of them can even be transmitted to human beings whipworms are one such canine villain. What you know about whipworms in dogs will help you save your dog from this potentially harmful internal parasite.
Whip worms are slender and whip-shaped worms that can be found in the dog’s colon. It is not often visible with our natural eyes so you need to have your dog examined by a vet to see if these worms are present in his body. They can grow as long as 30 centimeters so you must have your dog treated right away to avoid whip worms to become obstructions in your dog’s systems.
When the larvae of these worms are hatched in the dog, they can migrate to other parts of his body by passing through his circulatory system. They can travel to the lungs, breaking pulmonary capillaries and return to the intestines where they develop and mature. When this takes place intestinal blockage may result, causing intense abdominal pain to the host.
Other symptoms include weight loss, flatulence, lethargy, anemia and traces of blood in the stool and mucous. This may not manifest entirely until worm infestation has reached more critical levels though so it is advisable that you have your pups checked by the vet as early as two weeks old, and regularly after that.
When you do find out that your dog has worms, do not give him drugs with chemicals to kill the worms. These are a weaker form of pesticide, but pesticide nonetheless. If these chemicals are allowed to be administered to your dog often enough, it may result in really bad complications. Some examples of these health hazards are cancer, reproductive problems, vision abnormalities, seizures, lack of coordination, muscle tremors and kidney, thyroid, liver and bladder damage.
That doesn’t sound too good now does it? Unfortunately, it is a reality that the abovementioned symptoms are the outcome of pesticides being administered to your dog. Even if you don’t give your dog a large amount of these drugs, you will be giving him small doses over a long period of time. That adds up and spells BIG TROUBLE for the poor dog.
Fortunately, there are many alternative de-worming treatments that you can use for him. Special herbs that safely kill internal parasites and help boost the dog’s immune system are contained in these great, organic products. You can find a really good worm treatment by clicking on the links displayed in this article. They are effective and more importantly, safe for our beloved pets’ use.
Whipworms are terrible little monsters, but they can be eliminated and kept away with the right treatment. Practice good housekeeping (remove feces, sterilize the dog’s quarters often) and wash your hands when you handle your dog to avoid spreading whipworms in dogs.