Worms Cats Dogs

Whipworm in dogs symptoms range from no sign to diarrhea and loss of weight for moderate infestations and bloody stools or rectal prolapse for severe infestations.

The Whipworm is a variety of the Roundworm family. Whipworms in dogs are more common than Whipworms in cats but cat owners should not be complacent. The worms have different strains for different species of host, but the worms can survive in a host other than their own.

The whip-like shape of the worm gives rise to its name. A mature Whipworm bores into the large intestine, its natural habitat, using the thin tail-like head and feeds off the blood of the host. It is this action that causes most of the irritation damage to the intestine causing …

The penetration of the intestine can cause increased luminal fluid secretion which in a large worm infestation may be such that the fluid is not adequately reabsorbed causing dehydration and diarrhea in the host.  It may also cause the loss of electrolytes and nutrients. You may also notice blood loss showing up as blood in the dog’s stools.

Although not common a rectal prolapse, where the lower portion of the colon becomes unattached and turns inside out protruding from the anus of the dog. This is fatal if not treated. It is caused by the Whipworms burrowing into the lining of the colon.

Whipworm eggs are passed from the host by way of the stools where they will inhabit the ground. It is extremely difficult to kill the Whipworms while they are in the egg cycle. Treating the ground is seldom effective. The best solution is to remove the soil from concentrated areas and replace it with fresh soil. It is because of the hardiness of the Whipworm eggs that treating your dog is recommended every month once an outbreak of Whipworm is found.

The most common treatments for Whipworm include

• Ivermectin
• Febantel
• Fenbendazole

Prevention is always better than cure and so keeping the living areas of your dogs clean and free from feces is essential. Having a run that is exposed to the sunlight also helps.

A happy healthy dog or cat is always going to have a greater immunity to Whipworm and other parasites and diseases.

Whipworm in dogs picture source

Whipworm infestation picture source