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A parasite ... is a plant or animal that lives upon or within another living organism. There are a variety of parasites that infect various organs or body systems. Parasites can be either internal or external parasites living primarily on the skin, intestines, respiratory tract,blood vessels and the heart.


Hookworms

Parasites can be very dangerous to your dog, especially to puppies. Hookworms (about 1/8" in length) will adhere to the small intestine and begin to suck blood from your pet. This Blood loss from the parasite can develop into severe anemia, followed by circulatory collapse, severe diarrhea, hemorrhaging, shock and finally death.

Puppies may receive hookworms through the mother's placenta during the gestation period or through the mother's milk when nursing. This is why it is very important that new puppies receive a de-worming formula.

These parasites can also enter an adult dog quite easily when your pet walks over soil that contains any contaminated feces from other animals. In turn, your dog then licks his or her paws and ingests the hookworm larvae. Even without the paw licking the larvae can burrow through the skin and into the dog. Once inside, the larvae migrate to the small intestine where they grow into adult hookworms, usually within 14 days.

A female hookworm will begin to lay eggs... 20,000 of them perday! It is vitally important to have your favorite canine de-wormed should they become infested with hookworms.

Symptoms include: diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, +/- weight loss.

Diagnosis is made through a small stool(fecal) sample.

Treatment typically consists of an oral medication which kills the adult hookworms, but not the larvae. This treatment needs to be repeated again in 2 to 4 weeks to kill the larvae that have emerged as adults.

In cases of severe anemia, your dog may require Hospitalization often a blood transfusion... and your pets can be severly ill.


Roundworms

Roundworms are another common parasite most often found in puppies. The worms are usually heavy-bodied and grow to about 6" in length. Infection usually occurs as larvae that have lain dormant in an adult female dog are reactivated when the female dog becomes pregnant. The larvae begin to migrate through the placenta to the liver of the fetus. Worms migrate to the mammary glands of the mother, so that puppies can also become infected while nursing.

The time from roundworm larvae infection to the adult stage is about 27 days.

Adult dogs may have Roundworms... and must be treated.


Tapeworms

Another very common worm is the tapeworm. This worm lives in the intestines of both dogs and cats. The worm is transmitted by fleas. When a dog or cat has fleas, they will naturally ingest the tapeworm while grooming. The tapeworm then makes its way to the intestine.

There are usually no noticeable symptoms for the most part, although sometimes your dog may show some stomach upsets, diarrhea or just seems somewhat lethargic. You can often tell if your pet has tapeworms by finding small, whitish worm segments that look like small grains of rice under the tail of your pet or on its bedding. Also, you dog may begin "scooting" their rear end along the floor because of irritation. It takes approximately three weeks from the time your dog ingests the flea until you begin to see tapeworm segments.

Tapeworms are something you'll want to rid your dog of.

The first treatment for tapeworms is to begin a consistant program of flea control treatment program for your pet and the immediate environment of your house and yard.


INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE CDC WEBSITE .....

Educating and Counseling Pet Owners
Pet owner education regarding intestinal parasites and their effects on the health of both their pets and family members should be included in a well-pet exam. Pet owner education should focus on prevention and include the following:

Description of ascarids and hookworms that infect dogs and cats, early signs of illness, and when pets are at greatest risk for infection (in utero and when nursing).
How ascarids and hookworms cause disease in humans, especially in children whose play habits and attraction to pets put them at increased risk.
How prophylactic treatment of pregnant and nursing pets and their offspring can protect their pets from becoming infected, thus preventing them from shedding eggs into, and contaminating, the environment.
The need for regular diagnostic fecal examinations of pups or kittens or prophylactic treatment of older pets.
The need for prompt collection and disposal of pet feces, especially in areas where children play, to remove eggs from the environment before they can become a problem.
The need to keep children away from areas that may be contaminated with pet feces.

Prevention of Zoonotic Transmission of Ascarids and Hookworms of Dogs and Cats

Ascarids and Hookworms
Ascarids (Toxocara canis, T. cati) and hookworms (Ancylostoma spp.) are common intestinal parasites of dogs and cats (referred to here as pets). Not only can ascarids and hookworms cause disease in their respective hosts, they are also well-known causes of larva migrans syndromes in humans, especially children. While ascarids and hookworms are most commonly diagnosed in puppies and kittens, infections can occur in dogs and cats of all ages. Dogs can also become infected with Baylisascaris procyonis, the common raccoon ascarid, which can cause serious disease in other animals and humans.1

Ascarids Because of the occurrence of both transplacental and transmammary transmission of T. canis, puppies are usually born with or acquire ascarid infections early in life.2 Kittens do not become infected in utero, but like puppies, can acquire ascarids (T. cati) through the queen's milk.3 The tissue-migrating and early intestinal stages of these worms may cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, disease in the first few weeks of life. Patent intestinal infections can develop within the first 2