How Do Dogs Get Hookworms By Natalie Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Dogs are prone to be parasite central at times. They are the primary host for heartworms, a parasite that infects cats and even humans. Fleas and ticks love them and they are a hot spot for hookworms it seems. Dogs can easily get hookworms and they aren't as immediately detrimental to your pet's health as other types of parasites, but it is crucial to spot and treat hookworms as early as possible or your dog could end up suffering and costing you a lot of money in veterinary bills in the long run.

What are Hookworms?

Hookworms are tiny, worm-like parasites that live inside dogs and feed off of them - just like a heartworm. The fact that hookworms and heartworms are parasites that live inside dogs is pretty much where the similarity ends, because they do not look the same and they reside in completely different parts of the dog's body. Hookworms get their name from the small hook-like instrument on their head that they use to cling onto the wall of a dog's intestinal tract - it helps to keep them there. They suck blood from the walls of the intestines and have been known to cause serious anemic problems in young dogs. In most cases hookworms are a puppy problem, but they can develop in adult dogs as well.

How do Dogs Get Hookworms?

Hookworms can be passed to dogs through a variety of methods. The primary causes of hookworms for dogs are through the mother's milk when nursing, through the top layer of their skin, through the mouth and even through the placenta before the puppy has even made it into the world. It is a rather common thing that many puppies experience and for veterinarians, deworming young dogs is a typical practice and is recommended for all newborn puppies whether they are known to be infected or not. The younger the dog is the more prone to hookworm-related anemia they are, so it is important to get them treated as early as possible.

The Trouble with Hookworms

Anemia is the primary problem that puppies experience as a result of hookworm infection. This is due to the fact that the hookworms attach themselves on the dog's intestinal walls and suck as much blood as they can, multiply and suck more blood. If you were losing that much blood, you would be infected too! One female hookworm can lay thousands upon thousands of eggs everyday, so the problem of hookworms is practically impossible to halt or contain without professional or medical help. Sometimes, when a large number of eggs are present it is possible to see the infection through an examination of a puppies' stool, but not all the time.

Treating Hookworms in Your Dog

Lucky for you and your dog, hookworms are quite easily treated. Mostly an oral medication is all that is required to cure the problem, but a follow up treatment a few weeks later to kill any remnants that may have hatched. Your veterinarian may even have a dewormer that tastes great, so your dog will eat it up like a treat. This is one of the easiest pet related problems to treat and it is extremely common and if detected early, hookworms can be a thing of the past.

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