At some time in your dog's life they will have a worm problem. Whether it's as a puppy (which is most common) or as an adult dog, immediate treatment is crucial to stop further infestation and the development of other illnesses. The usual suspects of intestinal parasites that we know are tape worm, round worm, hook worm and whip worm. Heartworms are found in the heart's blood vessels leading to the lungs. Blood tests will be needed to detect heartworms. Tape worms and round worms can be diagnosed visually, the others can only be determined through faecal examination. It is important to do regular de-worming of all types dogs, including puppies and pregnant females. This will definitely reduce infestation of your pet and prevent infection to humans. Round worm symptoms include, vomiting, coughing, diarrhoea, bowel obstruction, pneumonia, a dull coat, and a swollen stomach. Serious cases can be deadly. Round worms are usually 3 - 6 inches long and they can infect dogs by ingestion, in the placenta, or can be transferred to puppies through the mother's milk.
Worms can be passed from animal to human. Children are the most vulnerable, as the eggs can be picked up from stroking their pet and then using dirty hands to eat, or even more commonly picking up eggs from a sandpit or dirt outside. Once in a child's system worms can cause different health problems, they can live behind the retina which can cause damage to the eyesight. This disease is called Toxocariasis, and has been known in this day and age to still cause partial blindness in up to 100 children each year.
At two weeks of age puppies should be dewormed and then again at four, six, eight and twelve weeks. It is vital then to continue with deworming at four months, five months and then at six months old. This regular deworming pattern kills all worms and their eggs, whether contracted as a foetus, through infected mother's milk, or by consuming the eggs. At 6 months of age, you will want to start a heartworm medication treatment once per month. It's also an important point to deworm the mother at the same time as her puppies. The cycle won't be broken if one of them has been treated at a different time. Contamination on a small scale will not be a big threat to your dogs health as they have some immunity and most have an inbuilt resistance to a small amount of worms. An abundance of worms however would definitely impair the health of your dog drastically. The nutrients needed by your pet will be used up by the worms. The tissues and the red blood cells will be destroyed which could lead to anaemia.
For adult dogs worming treatments can be more flexible. Some people prefer to keep their pets on a quarterly programme others like to only treat them when they have an infestation. I would strongly advise speaking to your vet about whether or not continual flea and deworming treatments throughout your pets life is necessary. If you have more than one dog it's likely to be a more regular requirement, but again check all medication needs with your vet. It's not worth being wrong for either your dog, or you and your family.
