Dog Owner’s Guide To Parasites In Dogs
There are many parasites that can affect your dog. Some invade the body while others take up residence on the skin. More deadly parasites can even cause damage to various internal organs. Let’s take a look at some of the dog parasites.
Heartworms
One of the most serious parasites is the heartworm. These parasites live in the heart and blood vessels that connect the lungs to the heart. Hundreds of worms can eventually inhabit your dog’s body. Since the heart and lungs are affected, heartworms can easily prove to be fatal. It’s possible for a dog with a severe infestation to die of sudden heart failure.
Lice
Another common dog parasite is lice. Lice can suck on your dog’s blood or simply chew on his skin. Lice can only be transmitted through direct contact.
These parasites can various problems. They include hair loss, severe itching, and dull hair coat. An effective treatment method for lice is pyrethrin shampoo. Since most lice won’t be killed initially, you’ll need to shampoo your dog multiple times.
Hookworms
Hookworms are some of the next common dog parasites. Once inside the body, they make their way to the small intestine. They attach to the intestinal wall and suck blood. Anemia is a common side effect of a severe infestation of hookworms. Severe hemorrhaging may occur in severe cases. Some dogs may even die as a result.
Dogs with these parasites need to be treated with oral or injectable medication. However, this medication is only effective in killing adult worms and not larvae. Treatment will have to be repeated in a month or so when the larvae have matured into adults and can be killed with the medication.
Ear Mites
The final common parasite is the ear mite. They can inhabit any area of your dog’s body, but primarily affect the ear canal. They will easily infect other animals. The most common sign of an ear mite infestation is frequent head shaking and ear scratching. Permament hearing loss may result if the eardrum becomes damaged.
Dogs can be affected by many symptoms of dog illnesses. You can read up on many different potential health problems at dog-illnesses.com. So, come by right now to become informed.
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