Worming of Dogs
Dogs can be infested with different species of worms, including round worms, hookworms, heart-worms, tapeworms, and whipworms. Just as in poultry and livestock operations, worms can cause many dollars worth of damage in a kennel or breeding operation. Pups are most severely affected, with symptoms appearing as poor growth, rough hah* coat; diarrhea, listlessness, and if the infection is severe death may occur. In addition, roundworms and hookworms present a public health problem since the larvae from these species can infect humans.

All dogs should routinely have their droppings checked for the presence of worms by a veterinarian. Brood females should be wormed or checked prior to or within three weeks after breeding. Hookworm and roundworm larvae can pass from the dam via the bloodstream through the placenta to developing pups As a result, if the dam is infected, pups can be heavily infested with these species at birth.

Pups in good health can be wormed at four to five weeks of age if necessary. If dogs are heavily infested, worming should be repeated in three to four weeks. This is necessary since the life cycle of most worms is such that part of their life is spent in parts of the body other than the intestines. Even though worms are removed from he intestine the individual worms in the rest of the body soon mature and migrate to the intestines. This can be controlled by worming dogs periodically. Normally no problems occur if a reputable product is used and directions for treatment are followed. Never worm sick or weak dogs recently exposed to disease unless under veterinary supervision.

Hookworm eggs can be destroyed in dog runs by sprinkling a saturated salt solution over the area at a rate of one gallon per 100 square feet or sprinkling three pounds of dry sodium borate per gallon of water over the same amount of area. Both salt and borate destroy the eggs by dessication, or drawing the moisture out of the cell. Remember, salt is harmful to vegetation and care should be taken in its application. This treatment is effective against hookworm eggs only.

Roundworms
One of the most important parasites in dogs is the large intestinal roundworm (Ascarids). These white or yellowish colored worms, when mature, will measure two to eight inches hi length.

The presence of roundworms in the intestines of a young dog is characterized by marked enlargement of the abdomen, unthriftiness, listlessness, and may be accompanied by digestive disturbances. If the infection is heavy or severe, worms may even be passed in the dog's droppings or in the vomit the dog produces when he coughs. The coughing is most prevalent when the larvae are passing through the lungs. When large numbers of larvae are present hi the lungs, pneumonia may develop.

Many times it appears that adult dogs may develop an immunity against roundworms; therefore, it is a less serious problem in mature dogs than it is in young pups. However, roundworms can still be present hi adult dogs and unless they are treated, the adult dogs will spread the worms to other dogs.

Just as the hookworm larva, the roundworm larva can migrate through the blood system of the pregnant mother to her developing pups, and consequently, the pups may be heavily infected with worms at birth. This emphasizes the importance of worming the pregnant female early (at least the first three weeks) in her gestation period or even prior to breeding.

The larvae of the roundworm present a public health problem, since the Ascarid larvae can invade the body of humans and cause a condition known as visceral larva migrans. Generally, this disease develops in children less than three years of age, due to their habits of putting their fingers in their mouth, or eating dirt which may be contaminated.

There are many good roundworm treatments available, some of which contain piperazine. If this compound is used, the dog does not have to be fasted since the medication can be given right in his food.

Hookworm
The most injurious internal parasites in puppies are hookworms. These worms are common and can be found in dogs in most sections of the country. They are grayish-white in color, V4- to %-inch in length and as thick as a straight pin. These worms attach themselves with teeth or cutting blades to the lining of the mucosa of the dog's small intestine.

There are three kinds of hookworms; all have similar life cycles. The adult female worms attached to the small intestine deposit a large number of eggs which pass in the dog's droppings. If there is ample moisture available and a temperature of 72-86 deg. F, these eggs hatch in 12-24 hours. Extreme dryness as well as freezing temperatures kill the freshly hatched larvae. For this reason, the incidence and severity of hookworm infection is lowest during mid-Winter and highest in the Summer.

The larvae develop to a third or infective stage in a week, at which time they are picked up directly by the dog in contaminated feed, water, or when the dog licks any portions of his body that may have worm eggs clinging to it. The larvae go directly to the small intestine where they mature to adults. The infective larvae can also penetrate the dog's skin, going first into the blood stream and then into the lungs. In the lungs they are coughed up, swallowed and go to the small intestine.

Prenatal infection can occur in females during the gestation period. The migrating larvae go from the female via the blood stream to the placenta and pass into the developing young. Consequently, pups are sometimes heavily infected at birth. The main effects of hookworm on dogs, and the condition which makes them so serious, is the heavy blood loss they can cause. An infected dog may have continuous bloody diarrhea from persistent hemorrhaging Caused by the hookworms in the intestine. In young dogs this can cause anemia or may even result in death. Many times young puppies that are heavily infected and treated properly may even be given a blood transfusion to help overcome the anemia. Failure to treat heavy hookworm infection will usually result in death of the pup. To illustrate the high blood loss, if there are 100 adult worms in the small intestine, it is estimated that these worms will take up as much as .2S-.4 oz. of blood every 24 hours. It is easy to imagine what can happen if there would be several hundred worms present.

Symptoms of hookworm infection are poor stamina and general poor growth of the dog, along with the presence of blood in the droppings. If worms are present, the eggs or even some of the worms may be found in the droppings. The presence of hookworms can be determined by having your veterinarian check a droppings sample.

Diagnosis and treatment for hookworm should be done by your veterinarian. There are many wormers available which can be used in the treatment of hookworms, including pills or capsules and a wormer which is injected into the dog's subcutaneous tissue.

Tapeworms
There are at least 14 different species of tapeworms that can infect dogs in this country. Some of these species are limited to certain areas, but all depend upon suitable insects or other intermediate hosts to complete their life cycle.

Tapeworms vary in size from a fraction of an inch up to 30 feet depending upon the species and age of the worm. Intermediate hosts such as fleas, lice, rodents (rats, rabbits, mice), fish, and snakes are necessary hi order for each specie of worm to complete its life cycle. Infection of the dog with a particular specie of tapeworm depends on the one present in the area and the intermediate host that the dog swallows or eats. If the intermediate host happens to be a flea or biting louse which the dog swallows, then he will pick up the larval stage of the particular species of the parasite this host is carrying. Other species can be picked up by the dog eating the intestines of rabbits, or the livers of rats or mice in which the immature stages of the worm are found.

Symptoms of tapeworm infestation in dogs are: digestive disturbances, abdominal pain, nervousness, and unthriftiness. Animals with mild cases probably suffer only abdominal discomfort and the inexperienced dog owner may not notice this. Heavy tapeworm infection may show up as persistent or alternating diarrhea and/or constipation. An important factor regarding tapeworms in dogs is that they may pass in the droppings and can, through the intermediate host, infest other livestock and man. The tapeworm segments passing hi the droppings of infected dogs can contaminate furniture, dog bedding, and may even soil these items. The segments have a pinkish tinge when fresh, but are brown when dry and look like grains of rice.

A dog infected with tapeworms may occasionally be seen sitting down and dragging his hind quarters over the floor or ground. This is partly attributable to the irritation that the segments cause when they pass through the intestines. The tapeworm can be detected by observing their segments in the dog's droppings. Also, if the veterinarian is given a sample of the dog's droppings, he can detect worm segments under a microscope, if they are present.

Treatment for tapeworm is by giving the dog a wormer designed for use against this parasite. Your veterinarian can give you information as to the most effective wormer for the particular species of worm which your dog may have.
Try to prevent your dog from coming in contact with the worm or intermediate host of a particular species of tapeworm. This can be done by controlling the rodent population around your area, and keeping your dog free of external parasites. As with most health problems, good management and prompt treatment upon diagnosis are necessary to help eliminate tapeworms in your dog.
Heartworm
One of the most difficult internal parasites to treat in dogs is the heartworm. This worm is most prevalent along the coastal areas of the United States although it is also found in the central and northern regions. The adult worm is slender, measuring ten to 12 inches in length with the female worm usually longer than the male. The adult worms most frequently live in the right ventricle of the heart.

The adult heartworm releases embryos or young worms, known as microfilariae, into the blood stream. These microfilariae circulate in the blood and do not develop further until they are ingested by a suitable intermediate host. This host is usually the mosquito although it has been found that fleas maj also spread them. This is one reason for the high incidence of heartworms around the sea coast. When the mosquito takes in a small amount of blood containing the microfilariae the organism develops further in the insect's body. Complete embryonzation takes ten to 14 days at which time the microfilariae emerge as larvae. When the mosquito again feeds on another dog, this larvae can be transferred to the animal being fed upon. From this point there is little known about the remainder of the life cycle. It is thought that the larva migrates to certain connective tissue in the body and with the completion of the intermediate development, proceeds to the right ventricle by way of the veins. This completion of the life cycle may take three to four months from the time the young worm first enters the dog's body.

Signs of heartworm infection include a chronic cough and lack of stamina, especially after exercise. The presence of a large number of heartworms in the right ventricle can cause heart enlargement and subsequent heart damage. Continued infection can produce a strain on the heart which may eventually result in death of the dog.

Diagnosis of the presence or absence of microfilariae is made by observing a blood sample under the microscope. If microfilariae are present this indicates there are adult worms in the heart.

To date no single medication does a completely satisfactory job of treating both the larva and the adult heartworm. Surgery has been used to remove adult worms. Many of the wormers now available contain arsenicals which are effective in heartworm treatment. Treatment is difficult, not because the worms are hard to kill but from possible after effects. If all of the worms are killed at once there is a possibility that a clump of them may lodge in a major blood vessel and cause death. Therefore, the worms should be killed a few at a time to prevent an accumulation. If an accumulation of dead worms occurs in the blood vessels of the lungs, pneumonia may result. Diagnosis for heartworms, and treatment if any are found, should be done by a veterinarian. The treatment period will usually be long and during this time the dog should have ample rest.

The best method for preventing recurrence of heart-worms is to keep down the number of mosquitos in your area and prompt treatment of any infected dog. If heartworms prevail in your area, keep your home or kennel area screened so that the dog has minimum exposure to mosquitos. Drain all marsh lands and still water areas which are not in use as an aid in preventing mosquitos from hatching. Another manner for the prevention of infestation necessitates giving medicine daily during the mosquito season and for two months after a killing frost. The medicine is given only to dogs that have a negative blood test. This medicine destroys the microfilaria that may be introduced by mosquitos. Semi-annual blood tests for all dogs, preferably in March and November, are recommended.

Whipworms
Whipworms that are found in dogs have a white or gray colored whip-like body and are two to three inches long at maturity. They are usually found in the cecum (a blind pouch located between the large and small intestines) of the dog. The dog is infected by swallowing embryonated eggs picked up in contaminated water, feed, or by licking off eggs that may be clinging to his hair coat. The swallowed embryonated eggs hatch in the small intestine and in two to three months the young worms travel to the cecum.

Little is known about the damage whipworms cause to dogs. Symptoms of severe infection are chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, prolonged nervousness, unthriftiness, and frequent periods of constipation and diarrhea. If diarrhea persists, blood may show up in the droppings. Animals affected with severe cases of whipworm may die if left untreated.

Identification of the worm can be made by a veterinarian upon microscopic examination of the droppings for whipworm eggs. Treatment is by a wormer designed for whipworm control. This wormer can be obtained from your veterinarian.

Routine checking of dropping samples for whip-worms, prompt treatment if any are found, and good sanitation of the area in which the dog lives do much to prevent further spread and also aids in the elimination of these internal parasites.

Worming Precautions
The following precautions should be followed when worming your dog. Always follow the worming directions specifically. Dogs which are sick, weak or exposed to a disease, such as distemper, should not be wormed except under specific supervision of the veterinarian. Cleanliness of the dog and his kennel is a must for good worm control.