Dogs and cats are not just pets, they are treated like members of the family. Like any member of your family, it's important to keep your companion healthy and free from parasites.
Intestinal worms are parasites that live off the blood and nutrients of our pets. Puppies and kittens can be infected with worms before birth, whilst in the womb, after birth, through drinking their mothers milk or through the external environment such as our yards or homes. Infestation of intestinal worms occurs in the digestive tract including such organs as the stomach, duodenum, small intestine, large intestine and colon.
Responsible pet parasite control can reduce the risks associated with transmission of parasitic dieases from pets to people. By following a few simple guidelines, pet owners can better protect their pets and their family.
- Practice good hygiene, always encourage children to wash their hands regularly (especially after playing in dirt or sandpits, playing with pets or prior to eating)
- Minimise exposure to high traffic pet areas
- Clean up your pets faeces regularly
- Always dispose of dog faeces in public parks and playgrounds
- Do not feed raw meat
- Administer regular worming treatments to all pets in the household.
It is important to maintain a routine worming treatment for your pets, to reduce the incidence of infection and to reduce environmental contamination. There are many worming treatments available for the various worm infections that occur in our pets.These are available as tablets, spot-ons, or pastes. Re-infection is a common problem, particularly in pets that are in contact with a heavily contaminated environment. Another very important reason to worm your pets is to protect your family; as children in particular can become infected with certain dog and cat worms.
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Recommended Worming Schedule
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AGE
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FREQUENCY
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1-6 WEEKS
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EVERY WEEK
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6-12 WEEKS
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EVERY TWO WEEKS
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3-6 MONTHS
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EVERY MONTH
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AFTER 6 MONTHS OF AGE
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EVERY 3 MONTHS
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INTESTINAL WORMING TO BE CARRIED OUT FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR PET!!
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Symptoms of intestinal worms depend on the stage and level of infestation and the type of worm affecting your pet, however any or all can cause diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, dry skin and poor coat appearance, reduced growth, weakness and in severe cases gastrointestinal bleeding. Intestinal worms are a serious matter which can cause severe illness or death if not treated correctly.
Worms sometimes have complex lifecycles which involve a period of existence and development outside your pet. Understanding the life cycle of a specific worm is important so that strategies for treatment and prevention can be designed and implemented. For instance, some tapeworms need to pass through fleas to complete their lifecycle, so flea prevention is an important method of controlling tapeworms.
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TYPES OF INTESTINAL WORMS
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HOOKWORM
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- These small thin worms fasten to the wall of the small intestine living off the blood of the pup.
- Hookworms can kill young pups through the development of anemia.
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ROUNDWORM
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- These long thin worms are active in the intestines of our pups, often causing a pot-bellied appearance and poor growth in addition to vomiting, coughing and blockages in the intestines.
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WHIPWORM
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- These thread like worms, live primarily in the cecum, the first section of the large intestine, whipworm can cause abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea in our pups.
- Often whipworm is hard to detect due to lighter infestations.
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TAPEWORM
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- Also known as “flea tapeworm”, these worms are carried and transmitted by fleas.
- These flat noodle like worms can be seen in the feaces or around the anus causing an itchy bottom.
- These worms like all others are deadly if left untreated
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Please call us to discuss an intestinal worming program for your pet.
Health Check | Cat Vaccination | Dog Vaccination | Flea Control | Tick Control | Heartworm |