De-worming

The Importance Of Deworming Animals

 
Ameera Mills
By Ameera Mills. Updated: August 26, 2024
The Importance Of Deworming Animals
Dogs

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External and internal deworming is incredibly important for the health of our dogs. Many dog owners are however, still unaware of the importance antiparasitics. Owners who do not deworm their dogs, leave their animals exposed to infestations that can cause: discomfort, diseases and even death. Some of these parasites can even affect humans. But it is incredibly important to deworm your dog at least once a month.

To find out more about the importance of deworming your dog, we here at AnimalWised have chosen to inform you as to why you have to deworm your dog.

Contents
  1. Common external and internal parasites in dogs
  2. Importance of deworming in dogs
  3. Deworming dogs: ticks in dogs
  4. Deworming: intestinal parasites in dogs
  5. Symptoms of pulmonary parasites in dogs
  6. Filariasis in dogs
  7. How to deworm a dog?

Common external and internal parasites in dogs

The main objective of antiparasitic products is to prevent and treat the appearance of parasites in our dogs. Some of these antiparasitic products are designed to, not only fight the appearance of external parasites but also other infestations. Double deworming is the most effective and recommended form by veterinarians. This is because often, the use of one single product is not strong enough to deter such infestations.

In general, the most common external parasites in dogs are fleas, mosquitoes and ticks, which are much more frequent during hot weather, although they are present all year round. In addition to fleas and ticks, dogs can suffer from the appearance of: intestinal worms, lung worms and heartworms . All of these can cause serious damage to a host animal and, therefore, it is important to carry out a proper monthly deworming for your dogs. Therefore, do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian for a double monthly deworming plan for your pet.

Importance of deworming in dogs

Fleas are small blood-sucking insects. They feed on the blood of a dog, extracted by stinging. They require warm temperatures for a successful reproductive cycle. Sometimes, however, the environments that we maintain in our houses allow them to reproduce all year round. Visible fleas on our dog form part of the smaller percentage of those which are found in the environment. Fleas go through different phases of mutation (see image below).

Fleas can transmit intestinal parasites and even cause anemia, specifically in the small or weak. In addition, a dog may in fact be allergic to a flea sting. This sting can trigger and result in symptoms of: pruritus, scratching, alopecia and open wounds, especially in the lumbosacral area (allergic dermatitis).

The Importance Of Deworming Animals - Importance of deworming in dogs

Deworming dogs: ticks in dogs

Depending on the geographical area in which you live, ticks can infest a dog any month of the year. Ticks have the capacity to survive at above 8 degrees of ambient temperature. Ticks are mites that feed on blood. They can transmit diseases such as: babesiosis, which can cause hemolytic anemia and have the possibility of resulting in the death of an animal. This explains why deworming our dog every month is so important.

Ticks can live for long periods of time in an environment, until presented with the opportunity to jump on an animal. Once lodged in a dog's skin, it takes a few hours to transmit a disease. If these ticks do infect your dog, they should be removed; quickly and carefully. It is important to do this carefully as it is very important not to leave the tick's head in the dog's skin. Antiparasitics are able to eliminate them before they transmit diseases, hence the importance of respecting the required frequency of its use.

The Importance Of Deworming Animals - Deworming dogs: ticks in dogs

Deworming: intestinal parasites in dogs

Most internal parasites are able to keep their eggs alive in the environment for extended periods of time. These parasites are contagious and a dog can be infected by licking or simply sniffing this infected area. Mothers can also pass them onto their puppies. Unlike what happens with external antiparasitics, which maintain their effect for weeks, the inmates eliminate only the parasites that are present at the moment off transit. They eliminate this through the digestive system. This explains why it is necessary to deworm our dog monthly, and we suggest deworming a puppy twice a month.

Symptoms of such infestations generally do not show in healthy animals. In the case of puppies or immuno-depressed animals however, they will show symptoms of: diarrhea, weight-loss or anemia. A veterinarian, by examining a stool sample under a microscope, can identify the type of worm and prescribe an appropriate antiparasitic.

Symptoms of pulmonary parasites in dogs

Pulmonary worms (lungworms) affect a dog’s respiratory system. These lungworms can affect a dog that ingests snails or slugs which are infested with the larvae of this parasite. A dog will show signs of coughing and difficulty exercising. The parasites can be observed in the feces.

Filariasis in dogs

Filariasis in dogs is a parasitic disease, otherwise known as heartworm. The filaria is a worm that lives in the pulmonary arteries and, as the disease grows, it moves to the heart: causing thromboembolism and pulmonary hypertension and/or vena cava syndrome. This diseases appears through symptoms of dyspnea (difficulty breathing) and heart murmurs, which can cause the possible death of an animal.

A filaria reaches a dog through a mosquito. When the dog is bitten, the parasites enter the body, where they experience different maturations that end with their migration to the pulmonary arteries and right part of the heart. The female filarias release microfilariae into the bloodstream. If a mosquito bites an infested dog, they can then transmit the parasite when the mosquito bites another dog.

Symptoms include: coughing, exercise intolerance and even syncopes (loss of consciousness). Due to the location of these parasites, being so close to the heart, it can result in the death of the dog. Treatment also carries risks, since dead parasites can cause blockages in vital organs. The severe consequences that come with canine filariasis explains why we have to deworm our dog every month, since prevention is the best weapon.

How to deworm a dog?

Prevention is the best option we can take against parasites. Consulting a veterinarian will allow you to analyze your dog and its environment, ensuring your canine is the receiving the best protection it needs for its particular lifestyle. On the market, you can find: antiparasitics in the form of a pipettes, which we recommended applying once a month. There are also anti-parasitic pills which you can put into your dog's food. When it comes to smaller animals, you have the option of using sprays. In addition, there are collars, which are known to maintain their preventive action for months.

Once treatment is established by a veterinarian, you must scrupulously comply to it in order to keep your dog free of parasites. The damage parasites can cause is so considerable, therefore, justifying the need to deworm our dogs every month.

The Importance Of Deworming Animals - How to deworm a dog?

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to The Importance Of Deworming Animals, we recommend you visit our De-worming category.

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