Dealing with Dog Worms at Home
If you are like most individuals you will own at least one pet throughout your lifetime. One of the most common pets is a dog. There are dog owners all around the world who own multiple dogs and sometimes run into issues that they didn’t expect. While pets shower you with love and give you almost a full time friend sometimes things such as health issues or ailments arise that you are unsure how to deal with. One health issue that often attacks most breed of dogs are worms. This is something that almost all dogs will encounter especially in their adult years.
Worms are known as parasites that are internal and cause a wide array of health problems if they go untreated. They tend to drain the nutrients from your dogs blood causing them to become ill. Most types of worms can be easily cured but can be deadly if not caught soon enough. You will want to make sure that your dog is routinely checked by a veterinarian not only for worms but just for health issues in general.
There are several symptoms that your dog may experience if they have worms and with there being different kind of worms they may not always be the same. Some of the most common signs of worms are dogs that become anemic or appear to be malnourished. They may have a rapid heart, swollen stomach, and puppies often have a change in coat once they are infected with worms. Weight loss is a huge sign of infection and may be followed by mucus drainage of the eyes, vomiting, dark feces, and diarrhea (perhaps moving feces). Changes in sleep patterns or loss of appetite are also common symptoms of worms.
Your dog can be easily diagnosed by visiting the veterinarian. They will most likely ask about any noticeable symptoms, and behavior changes. They may order fecal testing which is the best possible test for indicating your dog has worms. These tests usually include fecal cultures, fecal floats, and direct smears. The four most common types of worms that infect dogs are hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. Once your dog has been diagnosed you will be given a prescription to help ease the discomfort of your dog, or you can turn to natural or even off the shelf solutions.
There is a wide variety of deworming medications that can be purchased over the counter. Some owners prefer to use natural or homeopathic remedies to care for their dog’s health issues. If you have taken your dog to the veterinarian make sure to give all dosages of medicines. To help your dog health’s improve you may opt to give them natural substances such as fennel, elecampane, papaya, and milk thistle or some potent Chinese herbs! These items help to ease your dogs suffering and rid the worms.
Make sure to always keep close check on your dog and when treating them at home follow any advice from your veterinarian. Do what you can to keep them comfortable and to heal as fast as possible.
