Parasites in Dogs

Dogs tend to fall to many parasites, both intestinal and external parasites. Parasites are organism that find nourishment by living on or within another animal. You may have heard of intestinal worms that affects puppies soon after their birth. These worms are types of intestinal parasites in dogs. The other types of parasites in dogs are external parasites like fleas on dog. In this article will discuss some information on common parasites in dogs.

What are Parasites in Dogs
Parasites are small organisms that get on the body of their host and find nourishment, warmth and other necessitates to complete their life cycle. In biology, a parasitic relationship is defined as 'one in which one organism (the parasite) lives on or within the other (host), and may cause the host harm'. Parasites can lead to many dog illnesses like secondary skin infections and Lyme disease. You need to prevent parasites in dogs to keep your dog healthy. Many parasites in dogs lead to diseases that may be contagious even to humans. Therefore, if you observe any signs of parasites in dogs, speak to your vet immediately.

External Parasites in Dogs
Infection due external parasites in dogs is very common. External parasites can be transmitted easily from one dog to another. Fleas can carry out long jumps to live off a suitable host. If your dog has long ears, you need to clean it regularly to prevent a dog ear mite infection. The following table will help you learn more about some common external parasites in dogs.

External Parasites in Dogs	Source of Infection	Parasites in Dogs Symptoms and Treatment
Fleas	Fleas are the common most external parasites in dogs. Fleas can get activated by body heat, vibration, and dog odors. Flea larvae mature into fleas and hop a ride on the dog for a blood meal. They will spend the rest of their lives producing baby fleas.	Flea bites leads itchiness in dogs You may find fleas or flea dirt, that is. shiny specks on the skin, especially over the rump. You can prevent and treat fleas with many over-the-counter effective, safe medications.
Mites	Ear mites in dogs are transmitted from one dog to another. Mostly the mother transmits the mites to her puppies. Canine ear mites are most active at night. Mites may lead to dog health problems in animals with weak immunity. Sarcoptic mites tunnels into the skin, that leads to scabies. Cheyletiella mites commonly infect puppies.	You may observe wax and debris along with itchy ears if the dog is infected with mites. The vet many advice ear drops to treat mites.
Ticks	There are many types of ticks that hide in tall grasses and jump over the dog the minute he passes over. The tick gets attached to the dog by burrowing its mouth into the skin. It will suck a blood meal until it bloats and will drops off. Ticks are carriers of many diseases like Lyme disease.	You need to use tweezers for removing ticks from dogs. Do not pull the ticks as their mouth parts may remain engorged in the dog skin leading to an infection. Do not squeeze a blotted tick attached to the dog, as this releases blood infected with disease into the dog.

Intestinal Parasites in Dogs
There are many intestinal parasites in dogs commonly known as worms that may affect your pet dog. The following table will cover some information in short regarding the various intestinal parasites in dogs.

Intestinal Parasites in Dogs	Source of Infection	Parasites in Dogs Symptoms and Treatment
Roundworms	Puppies can be infected by roundworms from their mother in the womb or from suckling on their mother's skin infected with roundworm.	Pot-bellied puppies are one of the roundworms in dogs symptoms. Puppies that are about 14 days old and pregnant bitches should be wormed routinely with products like fenbendazole.
Tapeworms	Dipylidium caninum is a common type of tapeworm in dogs that is transmitted when the dog eats an infected flea. Other tapeworms types may be contracted from uncooked meat, especially meat of sheep.	Symptoms of tapeworms are very rare in dogs. The most common symptom is dried tapeworm segments around the anus that appear like grains of rice in the hair. You need to treat the dog with praziquantel. Do not feed the dog uncooked meat.
Heartworms	Mosquito bites is the main cause of eggs begin passed on to a dog. The eggs hatch and mature into large worms that reside in the heart leading to heartworm in dogs.	You can prevent heartworm in dogs by using selamectin or ivermectin. For heartworm treatment in dogs consult a vet immediately.
Hookworms	Uncinaria is a hookworm species that is found in areas of cold climates. A dog gets infected with an hookworm by licking material that is contaminated by worm eggs. Ancylostoma hookworm is found in warm climates and contracted through mother's milk. The larvae of Ancylostoma can burrow through the skin of the dog and cause infection.	The symptoms of hookworm parasite in dogs are weight loss, diarrhea, blood in the stool. You may observe skin inflammation around the paws or belly. Treatment of hookworms includes mother and puppies to be wormed, with fenbendazole. Keep the dogs surrounding clean to prevent an infection.
Giardia	Giardia in dogs is a microscopic, single-celled parasite. Dogs are infected with canine Giardia by drinking contaminated water.	The main Giardia in dogs symptoms is unexplained diarrhea. The stools may contain blood. Abdominal pain is also a symptom of infection. You need to give the dog fenbendazole and consult the vet for further treatment.
Whipworms	The whipworm eggs can survive for years in shaded areas. Dogs are infected with whipworms by unknowingly eating the eggs.. These egg mature into tiny adult worms that causes severe intestinal damage.	Symptoms of whipworm infection include diarrhea, stools are smelly and tarry with dark blood. The coat becomes dull, the dog loses weight and may suffer from abdominal pain. You need to visit the vet for immediate treatment and worming of whipworm.

These are a few common parasites in dogs. You need to take good dog care and maintain regular dog grooming sessions to overcome the occurrences of external parasites in dogs. To prevent intestinal parasites in dogs, avoid feeding old and raw meat to your dog. Make sure your dog does not roam deep into the woods and see that he does not eat anything suspicious. Dog health depends on the level of care the dog owner provides. Take your dog for regular vet visits to keep dog illnesses at bay. I hope you have found the information in the above article on parasites in dogs useful.