Dogs Who Are Antigen Positive

Dogs found to be antigen-positive post-adulticide may have the treatment repeated, but only following an extensive case review. One option is to resume arsenical use with ivermectin or other preventive, a combination expected to eventually kill all surviving worms.

Meanwhile, selamectin, ivermectin, and moxidectin are available as treatments for microfilariae. These macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics are present in regular heartworm preventives as active ingredients, although they do not have FDA approval as microfilaricides.

Although these drugs do not have regulatory clearance, they are still popular as treatments because of the absence of approved drugs to eliminate microfilariae. Thus, dogs using these ML anthelmintics must remain in the hospital after treatment to be monitored for any potential side effect due to the rapid death of the offspring worms. Use of ML preventives is expected to eventually eliminate all microfilariae in six to nine months' time.

Thus, dog owners should thoroughly weigh the risk between heartworm treatment and the partial or full recovery of their pets. Whatever decision is made, the owners should always be pro-active in ensuring the best health care for their dogs.

Statistics show that one in three dogs at some time can be infected with intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Taking care of our canine friends not only stop at grooming, but also checking for parasites which can be detrimental to their health. The following is a list of the common intestinal parasites that infect your dog, what they are, how your dog can possibly acquire them, its harmful effects to your dog and to you, and of course, how to get rid of it.

Most common to infect the animal kingdom, roundworms grow 2 - 4 inches long, tan or white creatures with tapered ends that look like spaghetti. How they are acquired Puppies are usually born with them. Those infected with roundworms have a potbelly or a bloated look and dry, scaly coat. When your pets are in unsanitary conditions, don't be surprised if your dog becomes infested. Unlike hookworm eggs, roundworm eggs are very resistant to drying, sunlight or antiseptics. They can last for years in soil and still be infectious. Harmful Effects to your Dog If in huge numbers, a dog may vomit these worms or discharge them all as a whole in the fecal matter. Roundworms can cause diarrhea - the infestation's effect is evident on your pet's general appearance. They can also cause intestinal blockage and stool cannot pass if they become too many. Harmful Effects to Man Since roundworms are zoonotic, they can be transferred to humans. They cause an infection known as "Visceral Larva Migrans", which result in inflammation of muscle tissue. Young children are susceptible to transfer and can experience eye inflammations leading to blindness.

Treatment Usually used to treat roundworms are pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole and piperazine, both classified as Anthelmintics or dewormers. TAPEWORMS Description Tapeworms can be seen unlike other parasites. Tapeworm segments, usually white in color, can be seen after in the dog's feces or rectum after elimination that broke off from the adult.

How they are acquired Fleas can carry tapeworm eggs, so the ingestion of parasite eggs is the only way to infection. Harmful Effects to your Dog Although they don't cause much harm to our canine friends, tapeworms cause pet owners to squirm at their ghastly sight. Dogs experience cramping and sometimes gas. Harmful Effects to Man Children can accidentally swallow fleas that have eggs, causing intense discomfort. Fish can also be an intermediate host - so be careful in eating raw fish.

Treatment Antiparasitic agents, praziquantel and epsiprantel are both used both by oral medication or injection Description Hookworms are blood-sucking intestinal parasites and are invisible to the naked eye. How they are acquired Puppies can acquire hookworm eggs from their mother and unhygienic surroundings or soil. Heat and dryness kills hookworm eggs quickly. Harmful Effects to your Dog If your dog is infected, their feces look abnormally blackish and loose. In the first week of infection, they may look healthy, but extreme infections in injured or young dogs can be lethal. They can cause intestinal bleeding leading to anemia and bloody diarrhea.

Harmful Effects to Ma In humans, hookworms can also cause intestinal bleeding especially to children. In adults, they can cause an infection known as "Cutaneous Larva Migrans" or "creeping eruption". Lesions that can be really itchy are caused by hookworm larvae nestling into the skin usually in the feet. More so, when severe, they can cause abdominal pains and eye problems.

Treatment Hookworms can be diagnosed by the examination of the pet's fecal matter. Dewormers include pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole. An example of a product is Heartgard.