Whipworms in Dogs

The whipworms derive its name from its structure; thin whip like structure in the front and a thick posterior like the handle of a whip. These whipworms or Trichuris trichiura, are blood sucking parasites which are found mainly in the intestinal tracts. Usually, it's the dogs who suffer from this whipworm infection, although cats might also be diagnosed with this problem. These worms are small and usually grow up to a length of 2 to 3 inches. Whipworms in dogs can lead to several health problems as well as some chronic problems, hence it's important that you know more about the causes, symptoms as well as the various treatments so that your best friend does not suffer much from this infection.

Causes

One method by which the whipworm eggs are transmitted into the body of the dog is by eating infected stuff. When a dog ingests food or water which is contaminated with the whipworms eggs, the eggs start hatching and within the next three months, the larvae grows into adults which then burrows their mouth inside the walls of the intestine and then starts sucking the blood. The eggs that are laid by the adult female whipworms, are passed out into the soil with the feces and this helps continue the life cycle of the worms.

Symptoms

When a dog is infected by the whipworms, there are several symptoms that it starts showing. The signs and symptoms of worms in dogs, of course depend on the number of worms that are present in the intestine. If a small number of worms affect the intestine, then the dog may or may not show any signs and symptoms of infection. But, with the increase in number of parasites, there are several symptoms which the dog starts experiencing. Given below are some of the symptoms, ones which you should be aware of so that you can start off with the treatments soon. Here are the common symptoms:

• As the number of dog worms increases, it can result in inflammation in the walls of the intestine.
• Diarrhea is another main symptom of whipworms and if this is not treated in time, it can become chronic.
• Blood in the feces is another symptom of whipworm infection. The loss of blood due to this infection, however, might not be severe or a major threat to life.
• A dog or cat affected by whipworms might also show signs of anemia and even weight loss. Dehydration is another symptom of whipworms. This occurs, because due to this infection, the salt concentration in the body of the dog decreases, which leads to dehydration.
• The fur or the hair of the dog, also become rough and it gets an unkempt look.

Treatment

If the whipworms are not treated on time, then it might lead to some chronic health problems or maybe even anemia, hence it's important that one knows the right treatment options. There are several treatments available and one such treatment is the conventional deworming treatment. You can ask your vet regarding which deworming medicine should be given to your dog, as not all deworming medications are useful for getting rid of these infection. One of the best medicine that you can use is the Fenbendazole. Besides this, you can also use Febantel or Ivermectin. Some dog breeds are highly sensitive to some of these medicine dosages. Hence, you should always take the permission of a doctor before giving your dog these medicines.

While treating whipworms, you should also be careful about the diet of your dog. It should, of course, be nutritious and since, during the infection, the dogs also undergoes some blood loss, make sure that you give them some blood building vitamins and iron tablets in order to make up for the loss of blood. Keep an eye on your dog's health and if proper care is taken, then they will not suffer from these problems.