It is our mission to provide our clients with service excellence and superior patient care in order to maintain the highest quality of life for their pets.
Young pets are most commonly infected with intestinal parasites. Adult, even senior pets can become infected with intestinal parasites as well.
The most common intestinal parasites among them being:
Roundworms Whipworms Hookworms Tapeworms Q How does my pet get worms? A The pet becomes infected with these types of worm by coming into contact with infective larvae. The larvae dwell in the soil, feces, and/or vegetation contaminated by infected soil and feces. The pet intentionally or accidentally ingests the contaminated materials, and the larvae develop into mature worms within the pet’s GI tract.Hookworms may penetrate the dog’s skin and migrate to the GI tract. Roundworms andTapeworms can also be transmitted via means of an intermediate host. If a dog or cat eats an infected rodent, bird, or even an earthworm, they are subject to infection as well. The most common intermediate host to transmit Tapeworms is the flea. This means that even indoor cats and confined dogs can become infected with Tapeworms during the summer with even a light infestation with fleas. Puppies and kittens get worms through the placenta as a fetus, from mother’s milk, or from sharing an infected environment.
Q How do worms hurt my pet? A Worms attach to your pet’s intestinal walls, where they feed off of the dog or cat’s nutrient rich blood. Whereas one or two worms taking blood from a pet would not harm him significantly, worms breed proficiently. Infestation can reach to the hundreds in a few short weeks. The worms rob your pet of much needed blood, causing symptoms from poor hair-coat and lethargy to acute anemia and malnutrition.
Q Can I see worms? A Sometimes. If enough adult worms are shed in a stool, you may see what looks like spaghetti noodles. These are typically round or hookworms. Tapeworms are long segmented white worms, but you are most likely to see the egg sacs of the tapeworm hanging on the hair by the pet’s anus, or crawling on the pet’s stool. The egg sacs are anywhere from 1/16 to 1 inch long and often look like dried rice. The only sure way to know if a pet has worms however is to examine the feces microscopically.
Please call us if you have any questions regarding worms in your pet.
Our Core Values We take pride in our core values and strive to provide outstanding veterinary care. Service Excellence • Compassion • Trustworthiness Kaizen (Continual Improvement) • Integrity • Teamwork
Dunlap Veterinary Clinic, P.C. 4620 W. Cedar Hills Drive Dunlap, IL. 61525 Phone: (309) 243-7784 Fax: (309) 243-5495