Roundworms (Toxocara canis) are an extremely common form of parasite that dogs and their owners have to deal with. Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite that affect puppies. Roundworms can infect your dog in several ways, they affect newborn dogs, are determined by common symptoms, and are a rather frequent dog parasite. Roundworms are the very reason why a regular deworming regimen should be a part of your dog's life.
The most simple form or roundworm infection is when your dog ingests roundworm-infected feces.The shorthand definition of a roundworm infection is that the eggs hatch in the stomach and go to the liver, then the larvae work towards the lungs by moving through the blood. Once the larvae arrive at the lungs, they are coughed up and swallowed into the the stomach and ultimately deposited in the small intestine.
There are however, several different ways that a dog can become a host to this parasite. For example, roundworm eggs can exist in the soil for years, so, a dog cleaning his contaminated paws can pull roundworm eggs into his system that way. Additionally, a dog may be dewormed, but that only takes care of the roundworms in the intestines. The roundworm larvae also burrow into parts of the dog (like the liver) and then go to dormant (encyst) for years. A deworming won't kill these larvae. Some pet owners believe that dogs should be dewormed twice a year. While researching this article, I even talked to a dog owner who deworms his dogs every month. The rationale behind this type of vigilance is because of the dormancy issue. Another aspect of the dormancy issue is if a dog eats a rodent carrying roundworm larvae. Roundworm larvae encyst and go dormant in "transport hosts" like rodents, waiting for the chance that their intermediate host might be consumed by a dog so they can awaken and continue their life cycle.
The most insidious way that roundworms can infect your dog has to do with the previously mentioned encysting process. A hormonal change in the dog (such as pregnancy) will awaken the roundworm larvae, and the larvae will then travel through the blood to the placenta and ultimately to the unborn puppies. If this isn't ugly enough, uglier still is the fact that roundworm larvae can also be passed through breast milk. This makes for the ridiculously high statistics of puppies contaminated with roundworms. Some feel that 95% of newborn puppies are born with roundworms. I am not a vet, but what I have learned from talking to a lot of dog owners is that deworming should start as soon as 2 weeks with a puppy.
The symptoms of roundworms are rather general. Stomach pain, a dull coat, a bloated stomach, weight loss, coupled with pale lips and gums are all parts of the equation. They can also be accompanied by a loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody, irregular stools. Worms may actually be seen in vomit and in stool and they kind of look like spaghetti. Extreme cases can bring about a weakness and general loss of spark that comes with anemia and malnutrition. The coughing and other issues that come with the lung infection can lead to pneumonia in extreme cases.
Roundworms house themselves in the intestinal tract where they can grow up to five inches in length. A single roundworm can lay over 100,000 eggs a day. A fecal floatation by a vet will determine eggs in the stool. Roundworms pass their eggs out through the stool. Signs of roundworms in puppies can be a pot belly and slow growth. With puppies, roundworms are extremely dangerous and capable of severe intestinal blockage caused by a wormball that can cause death.
Roundworms are a rather frequent parasite that plague household dogs. Roundworms are exceptionally prevalent in puppies. Because of their propensity to go dormant and awaken later, deworming should be a regular part of your dog's routine.
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