Parasites are uncomfortable companion for dogs that we must know how to detect and combat for the good of our pets.
When we have a dog as a pet, it is common to hear about ‘deworming’ the animal when it comes to caring for it and in the veterinarian’s instructions. What exactly are parasites? Where do they live? Are fleas part of this type of being? We can learn a little more about parasites by focusing on those that live inside our animals, in order to identify their symptoms and treat them as soon as possible.
What is a parasite and types?
A parasite is an organism that attaches itself to another, which would be its host, in order to benefit from it and increase its ability to survive. However, the host has not allowed this relationship to be established and is generally harmed by the parasite, which causes illness, itching, irritation, infections, etc.
There are different biological organisms that can be parasites: viruses, bacteria, plants, fungi, animals, and protists. Parasites can be classified according to the area they occupy in the body of the host, in this case, the dog. In dogs, then, we would have ectoparasites or external parasites, which live on their skin, and endoparasites or internal parasites, which live inside the body, and lodge in some organ.
They can also be classified according to the time they spend living in the dog, thus having temporary parasites, which leave the host after feeding, and stationary parasites, which live a significant part of their life in the dog.
The most common parasites in dogs are, within the external ones, fleas, ticks, and mites. Generally, when we talk about parasites in dogs we refer to the internal ones, and the most common are the intestinal ones. The most typical are: the roundworms or nomatodes, which are the classic intestinal worms; the flatworms or tapeworms; the hookworms, with the most common being the hookworms, and the so-called whip-shaped worms. There is also the heartworm or Filariasis and the lungworms, which are housed in such areas. These worms are large and visible, but there are also microscopic parasites, such as Coccidia and Giardia, which are located in the intestines.
How parasites reach the dog
External parasites are easily transmitted from one animal to another. When a dog has fleas, they easily settle in different areas of the house where it lives, especially carpets and rugs, so they come and go from one animal to another frequently. In parks, gardens, and rural areas there is a risk of catching ticks and also mites. In general, poor hygiene is a risk factor for parasites to attach to dogs.
Internal parasites are transmitted in a number of ways. It is common for dogs to sniff and lick the ground outside to become infected with parasites, especially when they lick other dogs’ feces and urine. It can also be caused by an intermediate host, that is, an animal that had a parasite and that the dog ingests, such as a flea. Dogs should be prevented from eating raw meat or viscera or eating other animals, such as rodents. Contaminated water can cause our dog to become infected with Giardia.
Other parasites attach to the pet’s skin, penetrate it, and travel through the blood to its internal organs. They can also be transmitted by some mosquitoes, which carry the larvae of the so-called heartworm, and inject them with their bite. Finally, puppies can become infected if their mother has internal parasites. This happens either during pregnancy, as there are some that can cross the placenta and settle in the fetus, or when they are breast-fed.
Symptoms that indicate a dog may have parasites
External parasites can be detected by skin symptoms such as itching, irritation, redness, dermatitis, alopecia, and hair loss. For example, fleas cause itching, which can be aggravated if the dog is allergic to them. Specifically, if the dog is allergic to flea saliva, it will itch even more, and the dog will scratch and bite very intensely and frequently. As a result, the dog will cause irritation and wounds on the skin, with the risk of infection that this entails.
We must be very attentive to detect if our pet has parasites.
Symptoms that may lead us to suspect an internal parasite infection in our dog are usually diarrhea, vomiting, apathy and lack of energy, weight loss, loss of shine in the hair and opacity in the eyes. Many of them are derived from the lack of nutrients in the dog, as the parasite is responsible for them. Intestinal worms can also cause itching in the anal area, and we will see our dog scratching that area against the ground frequently. One of the clearest symptoms of this type of infection is seeing worms or remains of them in the feces or vomit, and depending on the infection, blood may appear in the feces. However, there are parasites that cannot be seen in the dog’s stool, and the veterinarian will need to analyze a sample of them.
Internal infections of the lungs and heart show their symptoms in advanced stages. These are: chronic soft cough, rapid breathing, fatigue, heart failure during exercise, and apathy. It also affects the coat, and the belly looks swollen. If the dog has a dry cough after exercise, it may be a symptom of parasites in the bronchi.
How to deal with the problem
If your dog shows any suspicious symptoms, especially if several of them appear at the same time, you should go to the vet for guidance and specific treatment. The first treatment for parasites in dogs is prevention. That is why you should give your dog anti-parasite medication on a regular basis, always under the supervision of your vet. For internal parasites, puppies should be dewormed every 2 weeks, dogs between 3 and 6 months old, monthly, and in adulthood, every 3 months. However, depending on the dog’s circumstances, such as the area where it lives, its breed, health, etc., the vet may advise us to deworm more frequently.
Internal deworming of dogs is carried out with general drugs, which will serve both to prevent and eliminate intestinal and lung parasites. There are also medications for the treatment of specific parasites, such as heartworms. Generally, these medications are tablets that are administered orally, although they can also be liquids or pastes, to facilitate their ingestion. A home trick to treat and prevent intestinal parasites in dogs is to add garlic to their food, chopped, minced or crushed.
To prevent external parasites from settling in the dog, the most common treatment is pipettes. This is a liquid substance that is applied to specific areas of the dog’s skin, between its hair, and keeps the entire animal protected from fleas, ticks, mites, lice, mosquitoes, and hookworms, which although they are internal, enter the dog through the skin. It is also used as a treatment for parasites already present in the dog, with specific products for each parasite. The general duration of the pipettes is one month, so they must be administered at that frequency.
There are also liquid products that are administered through sprays, and the classic flea collars. The biggest challenge in getting rid of fleas is not getting them off the dog’s skin, but from all areas of the house, which is necessary for a complete deworming. Ticks, on the other hand, are visible and not very numerous, so they can be removed by hand.