Pleasing 4 Pets

Almost all cats and dogs can contract worms, and even the happiest and most healthy of animals get them.

A domestic pet which is carrying worms can be sometime be relatively challenging to identify, as animals will not always display any apparent indication of being in ill health.

One of the main types of worms which affect domestic animals is the roundworm. All cats and dogs of adult age should receive roundworm-worming every three months, whether they are suspected of infection or not, your vet will advise you of a suitable treatment (although pregnant pets should only be wormed under the direct care of a vet).

Common roundworm or toxocara canis are very thin and are very pale pink, almost white in colour and are curled into coils, an infected animal will produce roundworm in their excrement or vomit. The eggs are so small they cannot be detected by the human eye. In adult canines the toxocara develop from larvae into fully grown roundworms inside the body. Both eggs and worms are expelled from the body in the animal faeces, and the eggs begin to change into larvae. The larvae are consumed by other dogs and the complex cycle begins again.

Dormant roundworms can be present in the muscle tissue of female dogs which can be galvanized in the course of pregnancy. They can travel across the placenta and can infect mother’s unborn pups. Puppies or kittens that are born infected with roundworms can be seriously ill or may not even be able to survive if they are infected with high numbers of worms.

If your dog or cat begins to lose weight and its fur becomes rough or bristly, this may be an indication that he or she is carrying worms. Kittens and puppies will frequently display a swollen abdomen when they have become infected. A fully grown cat or dog may drag its bottom along the ground or continually lick and try to clean its rear when infected.