About Internal Parasites

About Internal Parasites - Worms

There are four common types of worms which infest canines: 1) Roundworms; 2) Hookworms; 3) Whipworms; 4) Tapeworms. Of the four, only roundworms and tapeworms are ever visible in the stool. The fact that nothing else is observed grossly in the stool is meaningless. Sometimes puppies pass roundworms, and sometimes a mature tapeworm will shed some segments which will be visible in the stool, but the first three types must all be diagnosed by a veterinarian, or other knowledgeable individual with proper laboratory equipment.

1) - ROUNDWORMS: Virtually ALL PUPPIES HAVE ROUNDWORMS. Even though the dam does not show any worms in her intestinal system, they are so ubiquitous that every adult, from puppyhood exposure, has encysted larvae in her tissues. It is now known that, apparently during the development of the fetus, these larvae are activated and migrate into the unborn puppy. Thus a bitch with a negative stool check inevitably gives birth to puppies who need worming as soon as it is considered safe to do so. A properly raised puppy will have to be wormed for roundworms with piperazine several times by the time he is 12 weeks old, and for other worms as found necessary by stool examination. As soon as it is possible to collect puppy stools (when the dam stops cleaning up), a composite sample should be taken to the vet. Four-five weeks is a good time for this, since it gives other worms time to mature and shed eggs, which eggs are the means of diagnosis.

2) - HOOKWORMS: Must be diagnosed by stool check. There are several medications, some more safe than others. Methacide is quite safe, but somewhat less effective than the others, probably the best overall for puppies, but follow your veterinarian's advice. Reinfestation is easy through the ground where the stool has been deposited, or by self-licking, or even by penetration of the rhabditiform larvae from particles of stool right back through the anal canal. There is evidence that hookworm infestation may involve migration through the lungs, etc., making it difficult to cure an advanced case by conventional methods.

3)- WHIPWORMS: Must be diagnosed by stool check. There are two very effective preparations: Millibus-X, which goes into the food each day for five days. Apparently this variety can become quite a reinfestation problem depending on the kennel design. Consult your veterinarian and carefully follow his advice.

4) - TAPEWORMS: Must be diagnosed by examination of rice-like, off-white segments in the stool. When they are fresh, they move slightly, flattening and extending as trying to go somewhere. They are broader at one end that at the other. These are the segments of the adult worm attached to the lining of the intestine. In order to be infested with tapeworm, a dog virtually has to have ingested an infected flea, so the presence of tapeworm means fleas either are, or have been, present on the dog. The treatment is to worm the dog (effectiveness varies widely, but "PROGRAM" or "ADVANTAGE" are recommended regimens) and eradicate the fleas! The fleas are the real problem here as they are the intermediary host, and they need to be eradicated immediately or reinfestation will occur immediately. Once the fleas are gone, keep watching the stool and the dog's weight.

Remember: A negative stool examination does not necessarily prove the absence of intestinal parasites. Stools sampled in the early morning are best, and the certainty increases with each subsequent negative check. It is easy to miss a small number of eggs; eggs are, likewise, not present in each and every stool of an infected dog.

Fredric R. Cornell, M.I.S.
ARTYK Siberians