Oral Medications for Dog Hookworm Treatment

Dog hookworms or canine hookworms are parasites that have teeth like plates that hook onto your dog's intestinal wall. Hookworms are blood suckers that can suck up to 0. 1cc of blood each day. Hookworm saliva releases an anti-coagulant which prevents blood from clotting. If the hookworms migrate to another body part the first wound can continue bleeding profusely. This has severe repercussions on your dog's health.

Three common types of hookworms that effect dogs:

  • A. caninum
  • A. brazailense
  • U. stenocephala

How Dogs Get Hookworms

Dogs can contract hookworms if they ingest hookworm larvae from contaminated food sources like blades of grass, water or soil. If a pregnant female dog has hookworms, she can pass them to the fetal lungs through the placental blood flow. After birth, the immature hookworms are coughed and swallowed and mature in the intestine to form adult hookworms. Puppies can become infected with hookworms through mother's milk. Hookworm larvae also enter by burrowing through the dogs skin.

Hookworms Symptoms

To make certain your pets health is safeguarded you need to watch for signs that determine underlying illnesses in your dog. Due to excessive hookworm bloodsucking the dog will suffer from anemia, which will make him weak. Watch for pale gums and tarry stools. Bloody diarrhea and lack of appetite are common signs of canine hookworms. If hookworms enter through the dog's skin it will cause him itching and skin problems.

Diagnosis of Canine Hookworms

A microscopic fecal examination can detect the presence of hookworms in your dog, as hookworm eggs pass through their stool. The diagnosis in puppies is more confusing as eggs are detected in their feces only if a large number of worms are present.

Treating Hookworms

There are several injections or tablets that successfully treat hookworms in dogs. Some known products are:

  • Sentinel
  • Drontal Plus
  • Homeo Pet worm clear
  • Panacur-C
  • Interceptor
  • Heartguard Plus
  • Iverhart Plus
  • Worm XPlus
  • Worm Protector 2X Liquid
  • Advantage Multi

You may need to repeat the medication after the first treatment, as most drugs will kill adult hookworms, not larvae. A follow up treatment will be necessary to kill newly formed hookworms. Adult hookworms are not known to cause infection in humans; however it's beneficial to treat your surroundings with a pet friendly pesticide to kill contamination.

Tips to prevent hookworm infection in your dog:

  • Promptly treat puppies and dogs so that the parasites don't cause severe anemia.
  • Follow appropriate methods to dispose dog feces.
  • Keep yards and kennels clean.
  • Control rodents in your yard as they bring infection to your home.
  • Keep your dog away from any other animals with parasite infections or diseases.
  • Conduct routine vet checks for worms at least 2 times a year.
  • Female pregnant dogs should be treated by the vet to prevent hookworm infection in puppies.

Although hookworms don't affect humans, they can bite the skin, move under it and die. This causes irritated skin and itchy bumps. Make sure children follow proper hygiene after playing outdoors or with pets. Hookworms are parasites that can be easily treated with medication. If the severity of hookworms is critical, iron supplements and blood transfusion may be necessary.

 

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