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This is part two of a three-part series about worms. You can find Part One here, a discussion of tapeworms and hookworms.
Whipworms
Whipworms are intestinal parasites that are an inch or two long. They live in the large intestine, causing severe irritation to the lining of it. A dog with a whipworm infestation may suffer with watery, bloody diarrhea and weight loss. Whipworms pass their eggs in the dog’s stool, and they can remain viable in the dogs environment for years. Within 10 to 60 days, they mature and are able to reinfect the dog.
Veterinarians diagnose a whipworm infestation upon finding eggs in a microscopic examination of stool. Often, it can take several stool samples before a confirmed diagnosis, because whipworms pass a small numbers of eggs on an irregular basis. If affected by chronic diarrhea, whipworms are often the culprit. Unlike most worms, it is an accepted practice to treat for whipworms based on the assumption of infection. A positive response to treatment is in a confirmation that whipworms WERE present. There are several drugs deemed effective treatments for whipworms. Dogs require two treatments at 3 to 4 weeks intervals. Vets also advise that you should re-treat again three or four months later. As a preventative, I suggest using a heartworm preventative that also prevents whipworms. It is VERY rare for a canine’s whipworms to infect a human.
Roundworms
Roundworms are “spaghetti-like worms” that can cause serious problems in humans, and they are typically found in children. Roundworms are typically white, with a diameter of a spaghetti strand and about four inches long.
Often, Kittens and puppies host roundworms, because their larvae are small enough to pass through the placental blood supply. A mother’s milk also passes roundworms to her offspring, if she is affected. After birth, roundworms migrate to the intestines where they mature into adults and lay eggs. Three week old kittens and puppies shed roundworm eggs in their waste.
As adults, roundworms do little damage, since they do not attach to the intestine wall like hookworms. They wander around siphoning off nutrients ingested by the pet. If their numbers get large enough, they block the intestines, causing constipation. If worms make their way to the stomach, the dog expels them in vomit. If they enter the liver or lungs, they can cause pneumonia or hepatits. A dull hair coat, pot bellied, unthrifty appearance, poor weight maintenance, vomiting, coughing, intermittent diarrhea or constipation all signify a possible roundworm infestation.
Most over the counter wormer solutions kill roundworms residing in the intestine. The problem lies with killing the juvenile worms that do not reside in the intestines. Females to be bred require a worming prior to mating and three week intervals after whelping. Puppies and kittens should be wormed twice, three weeks apart and checked three weeks later by fecal specimen.
Roundworm larvae can blind young children, and they infect children most often. Their infestation is the result of a child coming in contact with a roundworm egg may be while playing in a sand box. Children often put their hands in their mouths without washing them
Do not worry, I did not forget about heartworms. That is the subject of the third part of this series, available here.
