four primary types of worms that infect the canine digestive tract (intestines),

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This article will discuss the four primary types of worms that infect

the canine digestive tract (intestines), and the least expensive and

most effective way to rid your animals of these parasites. The four

primary types of canine worms are Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms,

and Whipworms. Note: you can click on any picture on this page for a

larger more detailed view.

 

Hookworms

 

There are four species of hookworms that infect dogs

(Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma tubaeforme,

and Uncinaria stenocephala). In dogs, A. caninum is the most common

hookworm and causes the worst disease. A. tubaeforme is more common in

cats than dogs, and is less likely to cause severe disease than A.

caninum. Dogs in the Northern states and in Canada are more likely to

be infected with U. stenocephala as it prefers cold climates and A.

caninum prefers warm climates.

 

Mouth of a canine hookworm (A. caninum) A. caninum hookworm

infestation in dogs can lead to severe anemia, especially in puppies.

These hookworms have big appetites and attach to the intestine and

feed on the dog's blood. The other three types of hookworms are less

likely to cause severe anemia but it is a potential problem with them.

Signs of hookworm infection include weight loss, pale color, black or

tarry looking stools, weakness, anemia and death. In areas in which

hookworms are prevalent there can be skin disease in pets associated

with exposure to the larval worms as well. The following are a list of

clinical signs of hookworm infestation in canines:

 

* Dose, age, immune status dependent; may be severe and

life-threatening

o Primarily a disease of puppies, since adult dogs exposed

as puppies have a premune status due to presence of arrested larvae

* Dermatitis

* Puppy pneumonia

* Enteritis, bloody diarrhea, blood loss anemia

* Life threatening for pups - may show signs as early as 2 to 3

weeks of age in a peracute case (puppy crashes without prior signs of

disease) or may occur in an acute stage at 3 weeks to weaning where

there are eggs in the feces, bloody stool

 

Hookworms can be acquired from the mother's milk, from

penetration of the skin by hookworm larvae in the environment and from

eating hookworm larvae. Some vets think that it may also be

transmitted during pregnancy from mothers to puppies but this is

controversial.

 

One of the problems with hookworms is that they can accidentally

infect humans. This creates a problem called cutaneous larva migrans,

which loosely translates to worms migrating through the skin. Humans

pick up the hookworm larvae from areas contaminated by dog feces and

they penetrate the human's skin just like they would the dog's. Since

they don't belong in the human they don't develop into adults but just

migrate around in the skin, causing sores and inflammation, until they

die. This is a good reason to keep dogs and cats from defecating in

playground areas, beaches and other places where people's skin is

likely to come in contact with the ground.

 

Fortunately, the monthly heartworm preventatives are also

effective at controlling hookworms and can provide a measure of

protection against the possibility of the cutaneous larva migrans

syndrome occurring in the humans that own dogs and cats on heartworm

preventative medications. In areas in which heartworms are not a

problem but hookworms are, it is a good idea to consider having a

pet's stool examined for the presence of worm eggs once a year and

when clinical signs that may indicate infestation occur.

 

Roundworms

 

Adult canine roundworms (Toxocara canis) Roundworms (Toxocara

canis and Toxascaris leonina) are found in the intestine of dogs and

are a major hygienic concern because they are transmissible to people.

Because people get infected by ingestion of dirt contaminated with the

feces of infected dogs, roundworm elimination should be the concern on

every responsible pet owner. An average-sized dog passes 136 grams of

feces daily and it is known that a dog with a " light " roundworm

infection may pass 10,000 eggs in every gram of stool. If 12% of the

80 million dogs in America have " light " infections, 1,300 metric tons

of dog feces containing 13 trillion roundworm eggs are discharged in

the streets and lands of America every day!! In different surveys, 0.3

- 15% of soil samples and 7 - 31% of house yards or children's

sandboxes contained roundworm eggs.

 

Your plan of attack to eradicate roundworm infection should be:

to eliminate roundworm infection from dogs; to prevent dog defecation

in areas frequented by people, and; to educate your family and friends

about the risks and appropriate control measures.

 

Concerned pet owners should collect their pets' feces every day

and place them in the garbage or burn it. Flushing the feces down the

toilet is inappropriate because many eggs survive sewage treatment.

There is some fear that roundworms may be passed by a puppy licking

the owner. While the transmission rate through this avenue of

infection is probably very, very low it is still a good idea to

observe good hygiene and wash hands and faces after playing with the

puppy. Also, Humans should clean vegetables grown in the garden before

eating them. For most people, these preventative measures are just

normal procedures but it is good to know there is a reason for all

this caution!

 

Because pups may start passing eggs as early as day 21 of life,

the first treatment must be administered before this age. Since

reinfection is common from the environment as well as in the mother's

milk, treatment must often be repeated every two weeks until the pups

are 49 days old. In practical terms, this means treating pups at 2, 4,

6, and 8 weeks of age. Bitches should be treated at the same time as

the pups since they are most often the source of the pups infection.

All bitches should be presumed to be carriers of roundworms even if

they have had negative fecals prior to whelping since the worms often

persist in her system in a resting stage. The following list discusses

how bitches carry roundworms and infect pups before they are even born:

 

* Roundworm larvae migrate to somatic tissue (liver and lungs),

including skeletal muscle and remain there in a quiescent state

* Only resume activity in pregnant bitches following the 42nd day

gestation (third trimester)

* May establish an infection of the small intestine by tracheal

migration

* Usually infect the fetus via the umbilical vessels; initially

they attack the pups liver, then lungs at birth

* This is the primary reason that bitches should be wormed before

breeding, during the last week of gestation, and each time the pups

are wormed.

 

Once the initial infection is treated properly it is a

good idea to occasionally check a stool sample for the presence of

worms or to consider prophylactically administering deworming

medications if the situation seems to warrant it. It is hoped that at

some point in the future a vaccine will become available for roundworm

control since current control measures seem to be only marginally

effective. For the present however, routine treatment of pups and

bitch, as well as environmental control are necessary and essential.

 

Tapeworms

 

Adult canine tapeworm Tapeworms (Taenia pisiformis, Dipylidium

canium, Enchinococcus granulosus, and Echinococcus multilocularis) are

found in the intestine of dogs and are a major hygienic concern

because they are transmissible to people. Dog-rabbit tapeworms (T.

pisiformis) have a life cycle that starts with them living in the

small intestines of wild foxes, coyotes, and wolves where they produce

eggs that are shed in the feces and subsequently contaminate the local

environment. Rabbits then become infected by ingesting these eggs

which then form hundreds or even thousands of " hydatid cysts " in the

tissues. When dogs or their wild cousins eat these rabbits they can be

infected with hundreds to thousands of adults. These adults latch onto

the wall of the intestines and after about a month, start shedding

eggs. These eggs are then immediately infective to other animals,

including people. To complicate matters further, these tapeworm eggs

can remain infective in the environment for several months.

 

Adult tapeworms in the small intestine Infected dogs may seem

clinically normal while shedding large numbers of infective eggs. The

eggs are generally first seen in your dog's feces or sticking to the

hair around your dog's rear. These specialized muscular egg cases are

actually segments of the worm that are full of eggs and they look like

a small, flattened, grain of white rice that moves. As the egg case

wiggles around it is spreading thousands of tapeworm eggs which are

too small for the naked-eye to see.

 

Adult tapeworms appear to cause very few clinical problems in

dogs. However, this is the real point of concern since infected people

are not as lucky. Alveolar hydatid disease in humans, caused by

Echinococcus multilocularis, is a very serious infection that usually

involves the liver. Early in the course of the infection, patients may

be misdiagnosed with other liver ailments. Involvement of other

tissues, including the lungs and brain can also occur. Since over 50%

of people with alveolar hydatid disease die, this is considered the

most lethal worm infection that people get. It is therefore important

for all dogs and cats in high-risk areas be screened for tapeworm

infection. This is more difficult than it sounds since infection with

Echinococcus eggs can not be readily differentiated from the more

common tapeworms which do not affect people. Veterinarians finding

tapeworm eggs on fecal exams usually closely examine pets for the

rice-like grains known as proglottids which are found with common

tapeworms but not the lethal variety. Occasionally more dramatic

methods are necessary to try to recover worms from suspect pets. A

more convenient blood test is available to diagnose infection in

people and hopefully similar tests will soon become suitable for pets.

 

The best defense is increased public awareness of this

condition. Personal protection and hygiene are important, especially

to those individuals that may contact feces from potentially-infected

pets. Children are particularly at risk. Mulch that contains feces

from dogs, cats, wolves or foxes should not be used on gardens.

Beagles should be discouraged from consuming rabbits or any other type

of wild rodent.

 

Fortunately for pets, there are medicines that are safe and very

effective for treatment. People are not as lucky and surgery still

remains the preferred treatment.

 

In conclusion, Echinococcus multilocularis, may cause a mild

problem in pets but if people get infected, the results can be fatal.

In order to minimize the risk of human infection the public must

increase its awareness of the potential complications that are

associated with the parasites.

 

Whipworms

 

Two adult canine whipworms Surveys consistently identify whipworms

(Trichuris vulpis) as one of the most common parasitic worms of dogs

in North America, while only infrequently being reported in cats or

humans. They live in the lower aspects of the intestines (the cecum

and colon) where they latch on to feed. Sometimes they cause no

problems at all but they may cause abdominal upset (colic) or

diarrhea, often tainted by blood and mucus. When eggs are laid in the

intestines, they pass into the feces and become infective within 9-10

days. When consumed by dogs the infective eggs hatch in the intestines

and the larvae parasitize the intestines and matures further.

 

Many people do not realize that dogs do not begin to shed

whipworm eggs in their stool until about 3 months after being

infected. At that time each female whipworm may pass from 1000 to 4000

eggs per day into the stool. Complicating matters further are that

female whipworms are long-lived, surviving for months or years in the

intestines. The life cycle therefore includes a larval stage in the

small intestine, an adult stage in the large intestine, and infective

eggs that pass into the feces.

 

Diagnosis is not always easy since it depends on finding

whipworm eggs in the feces. Remember that animals are infected for 3

months before they begin to shed eggs and you can appreciate the

problem. Once females begin shedding eggs, they are usually

recoverable by direct smears and centrifugal flotation. They are not

as easily found with standard fecal evaluations. In some instances,

the adult worms are actually seen attached to the lower bowel during

endoscopic procedures.

 

Treatment is also not straightforward because of the peculiar

life cycle of this parasite. Although many medicines are effective in

removing adult worms, the larvae are less reliably cleared. Therefore

treatment must often be repeated in 3 weeks and often, in 3 months as

well, when the larvae have evolved into egg-producing adults. The

biggest hindrance to effective treatment is that animals are often

re-exposed to environments in which whipworm eggs are plentiful, and

are thereby re-infected.

 

It can be difficult to control exposure to whipworm eggs on

lawns or soil but concrete can be effectively disinfected. Proper

disposal of egg-containing dog feces is critical.

 

Inexpensive Treatment

 

The cost to effectively keep worm infestations out of your dogs

may be entirely too much if you take the dog to a Veterinarian. A Vet

will use a multitude of expensive dewormers. The cost for the

Veterinarian treatments along with the cost of the office visits will

add up to a lot of money per year. Once again, I want to remind

everyone that I am not a Veterinarian, but rather a long time Beagle

kennel owner. I'll tell you what I use and do, you can use your own

judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps. This article is

presented only as a documentation of how I treat canine intestinal

worm infestations in the Beagles that I own at a fraction of the cost

that a Veterinarian will charge for the expensive worming tests and

deworming treatments.

 

The easiest and most inexpensive, all-around, deworming

treatment available is Fenbendazole (Safe-Guard). It is virtually 100%

effective against all four types of canine intestinal worms. If you

buy deworming medications that are made and packaged specifically for

dogs, you will be paying a fortune for them. After reading this

article and seeing how often you need to treat your Beagle(s) for

worms, I think you may want to follow my lead.

Safe-Guard 10% Suspension (Fenbendazole)

Safe-Guard 10% Suspension (Fenbendazole)

 

Instead of buying and using only dog/puppy dewormers, I use the

Safe-Guard 10% suspension horse/cattle dewormer. I use this for all

Beagles that are at least 2 weeks old. This liquid dewormer comes in a

1000 ml bottle and contains 100 mg per ml of the active ingredient

which is Fenbendazole. This is much cheaper to buy on a yearly basis

than any other deworming product. You can purchase this huge bottle

for only $110 (accurate price as of 04-23-01) from Lambriar Animal

Health Care by simply clicking on the photo to the left of this

paragraph. It is about 100 times cheaper than any other dog/puppy

dewormers made. Also, please note that several of the commercial

dog/puppy dewormers are only effective against two or three of the

different types of canine intestinal worms; therefore, you would be

forced to buy two or three different kinds of dewormers, yet the

Safe-Guard 10% suspension horse/cattle dewormer is effective against

all four types. (NOTE: Lambriar Animal Health Care is an Advertising

Sponsor for BEAGLES UNLIMITED. They strive to promote health animals

and help customers save lots of money on animal health care products.

Here is more information about Lambriar Animal Health Care.)

 

The recommended dosage of this exact product and strength for

canines is 1 ml (which contains 100 mg active ingredient) per 5 lbs of

Beagle bodyweight. For example, a 25 lb Beagle would receive 5 ml

(same as 5 cc or 1 teaspoon) per day for a 3 day period (total 3-day

treatment consists of 15 ml which is the same as 15 cc or 1

tablespoon). With a 1000 ml bottle you have enough dewormer to treat a

kennel full of Beagles on a bi-monthly treatment program for a very

long time. For example, this one bottle of dewormer will treat

sixty-six (66) Beagles ( avg. 25 lb dogs) for a full three-day

treatment. I also use this dewormer for Beagle pups. As long as all

pups are eating and equally active, I deworm each litter at 2, 4, 6,

and 8 weeks. Adult dogs are proactively treated for worms on the

fifteenth of every other month. Fenbendazole is always administered

for 3-consecutive days rather than only one day, to be sure your

puppies and dogs are 100% worm-free. The reason I deworm on the 15th

of every other month is because I do a heartworm preventative

treatment on the 1st of every month. This way the two medicines are

not given at the same time which gives me peace of mind with regards

to my hounds' health and safety.

 

I know the bottle recommends a much smaller dosage for livestock

and that is correct for pigs, horses, and cattle but not for dogs. It

takes almost 5 times more of this wormer to be effective in dogs than

in large livestock. Every Vet I have ever talked to says the correct

dosage is 100 mg of active ingredient per 5 lbs of body weight given

for 3 consecutive days. I know some Beaglers that are only giving 1cc

per day for a 25 lb Beagle and I assure you this is not enough of the

medicine to work. Follow the dosage listed in the paragraph above if

the stuff you buy is the 10% suspension or 10% paste (same thing in a

different form) which has 100 mg of active ingredient per ml.

Fenbendazole (Safe-Guard or Panacur) is one of the safest dewormers on

the market. Fasting is not required and it is labeled as safe during

pregnancy and lactation. Personally, I don't recommend you give any

kind of medications to a pregnant bitch unless the life of the bitch

is in grave danger; however, I will give medications to lactating

bitches. The difference is the pups are already born and not in in

their developing and forming stages in the womb. This is a list of the

attributes of the Benzimidazole (BZD) type dewormers such as Fenbendazole:

 

* Actions: the antiparasitic action of Fenbendazole paste 10% is

believed to be due to the inhibition of energy metabolism in the parasite

* Contraindications: no known contraindications observed, even

when administered to young, sick, or debilitated animals

* Very wide margin of safety with regards to dose

 

If you have a kennel of dogs, then buying the Safe-Guard 10%

suspension horse/cattle dewormer will definitely save you a lot of

money each year. This deworming treatment will stay effective for up

to three (3) years if kept refrigerated once opened. Don't wait until

you see worms in your dog's feces before treating them, but rather be

proactive in deworming your dogs. You should deworm bitches before

breeding, three days after the pups are born, and each time you deworm

your pups. Treat pups with the appropriate dewormers described above

at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Also, treat all of your Beagles every

other month. An example of a recommended deworming program is as

follows: December 15th - 17th, February 15th - 17th, April 15th -

17th, June 15th - 17th, August 15th - 17th, and October 15th - 17th.

Once again, the reason I deworm on the 15th through the 17th of every

other month is because I treat the dogs with Ivomec as a heartworm

preventative on the 1st of every month. Also, don't forget that this

deworming treatment with Fenbendazole every other month has the added

benefit of ridding and preventing giardiasis in all of your hounds.

 

If you follow this deworming treatment schedule you will see a

significant improvement in your dog's appearance because you will be

ridding your hound(s) of intestinal worms (parasites) before any

damage is done. Remember, always keep your kennel(s) disinfected and

your backyard clean of feces. Dispose of your dog's feces as often as

possible -- preferably daily. You will be happy because your hound(s)

body and your family's living environment will be worm-free.

 

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