UK Health Radio – Medical News Update - The Importance to Your Health of Keeping your Cats and Dogs Worm Free.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

Did you know that that adorable little potbelly that many puppies seem to have could be the result of them being infested with worms? It is the case that the majority of dogs and cats will get some type of intestinal parasite at some time and that the worms whilst they are annoying, can lead to far more serious medical problems, particularly in very young animals. It is important to treat your pet for these parasites not only for its own health but because you as their owner could become infected too.

Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite to be picked up by cats and dogs.  Generally the eggs of these parasites need a minimum temperature in order to become actively infectious. That means that the danger is greatest in the spring and summer.

Animals pick up roundworm eggs from the faeces of other animals or from the soil. They can also travel across the placenta to puppies before they are born.

In their adult form, roundworms live in the intestine and feed off the food the dog or cat has eaten. One female parasite can lay up to 200,000 eggs per day.  Yuck!  Signs of infestation will be diarrhoea, vomiting, and that cute little potbelly seen in many puppies that I mentioned. The coat feeling rough and a generally unhealthy appearance are other signs. Although worms are usually not a serious problem for adult animals, they can threaten the life of a puppy or kitten. Take your pet to the vet if you think there might be an infestation.  I keep my Paddy, a cocker spaniel wormed with the dewormer that I buy on line from www.petscompanion.co.uk

It is important for your own health that you make sure your pet is wormed regularly too. Roundworms and hookworms do not mature in the intestine in human beings. Instead, they remain immature and migrate travelling through the tissues of the body. They can cause skin rashes and even liver and lung damage, and at worse even blindness or permanent brain damage.

Again youngsters, in this case children are most at risk so it really is worth making sure that your pets are kept worm free and that the children wash properly after they have been playing outside.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update

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