Dealing With Hookworms in Dogs
Many pet owners fear the word worms when they take their dog to the vet or their dog appears to be sick. Many different types of worms exist in the world of canines. Some of them are potentially deadly and even possibly spread to humans. While worms are definitely something to try to prevent in your dog, most types of worms are successfully treated. While ridding your dog of hookworms is not as easy as treating tapeworms, hookworms can usually be dealt with safely in a series of treatments if action is taken quick enough to the infestation time.
Hookworms enter a dog’s system through its skin. Therefore, a dog can get hookworms from simply stepping in areas where infested dogs have infected an area through droppings. Mother dogs can also pass the worm on to their pups. And of course, dogs can contract hookworms from eating or even smelling, the feces of other dogs.
Once infected with hookworms, dogs typically appear to be tired and begin to lose weight. Their gums may not be a healthy shade of pink as normal and they may have diarrhea with blood in it. You may see the dog scratching more than usual from the worms entering the skin. Overall, the dog will not grow as it is expected.
