Intestinal Parasites In Puppies

Intestinal parasites in puppies occupy the first places among common diseases. Above all, during the first phase of an animal’s life.

Developing metabolism

The puppies are in full development phase. The cellular activity of your body is very active, since the muscles, organs and bones are being strengthened by adulthood. Your immune system is also at a key moment, as it is creating the entire defense base of the body.

This intense metabolism requires reinforced nutrition, mainly protein and healthy fats. Therefore, you should opt for a specific balanced food for puppies. The nutritional ratio is different from the adult food.

This stage of development means that there is a lot of availability of nutrients circulating in the animal’s blood. This is the case of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. That makes puppies even more attractive to parasites than older animals.

More vulnerability to intestinal parasites in puppies

The body of a puppy is more vulnerable and easier to be parasitized. On the one hand, its defenses are not yet fully prepared to face the numerous microorganisms in the external environment. In addition, it is a small body, with organs of reduced size that can be more easily attacked and intoxicated.

That is why it is important to know how to do periodic internal deworming. And also know how and when to apply antiparasitic products. All in order to achieve an efficient result without putting our pet’s health at risk.

What are the main intestinal parasites in puppies and how to recognize the symptoms?

Internal parasites in puppies are divided into two large groups : flatworms and roundworms.

Round worms

They exist in greater numbers and most commonly affect dogs, cats, and humans. But they can also parasitize wild mammals, reptiles, birds, and rodents.

The name is due to the format of its body. Unlike tapeworms and flatworms, their bodies are plump and tend to be smaller.

Despite their diminutive size, they have the ability to reproduce very quickly. They can migrate throughout the body through the bloodstream. In this way, they can affect various organs and cause more severe damage to the body.

The best-known representative of roundworms are roundworms, whose technical name is Ascaris. These internal parasites lodge along the mucosa of the small intestine of the infected animal. And they do so by absorbing the nutrients produced throughout the digestive process.

At first, this parasitic relationship causes intestinal inflammation, the first consequence of which is chronic diarrhea. Subsequently, the animal begins to suffer an increasing nutritional deficiency. The main symptoms are severe and sudden thinning, lack of appetite and prostration, as well as alterations in texture and loss of coat.

However, it is another internal parasite called Toxocara that poses the greatest health risk to adult cats and puppies (especially those less than 6 months old). The best known disease is Toxoplasmosis.

Due to its high risk of transmission for humans and particularly for children, toxocariosis (a phenomenon of contagion of humans through animals) is considered a high risk zoonosis for Public Health.

Flatworms or tapeworms

They have a flat and flattened body like a ribbon and are usually more extensive than roundworms. There are tapeworms with bodies of more than 6 meters in length, occupying almost the entire human intestine.

Unlike worms, tapeworms need an intermediate host. It is about their larvae being able to develop and penetrate the body of cats, dogs and humans.

The most common host organisms are usually fleas and ticks. This generates the need for a double treatment consisting of internal and external deworming.

There are pathologies of massive contamination by flatworms, such as the disease called Echinoccocus. This disease is contagious to humans and its prognosis can be dire. In Spain there are many diagnosed cases. And several autonomous communities have promoted their own eradication campaigns.

Intestinal parasites in puppies pose a risk to the health of your pet and others around him. For this reason, it is essential to take him periodically to the vet and keep him on the treatments for internal and external deworming.

Main image source: Hugo A. Quintero G.