Dog Health Questions

What is a Roundworm?

Roundworms are common intestinal parasites that affect both cats and dogs. In fact, most puppies and kittens are infected with roundworms at birth or within the first few months of life as the worms are often transmitted in the uterus or while nursing from their mothers.

These large, cylindrical and cream colored worms can grow as long as seven inches and can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms for your pet such as vomiting, diarrhea, poor nutrition and distended stomachs (often seen in puppies and kittens with a worm infestation) if they are left untreated.

What Causes Roundworms?

To fully understand what causes infestations of roundworm, it is important to look at the life cycle of the actual worm. Female roundworms can produce up to 100,000 eggs in a single day! The larvae are then passed in the stool and the embryonic worm develops within this larva in the outside environment.

In good conditions, it takes approximately 1 month for the egg to become infective and once at this stage they can remain infective for as long as a year! The infective egg is then picked up by your pet, usually in the course of normal grooming, and ingested. The second stage larvae is now in the intestine of your pet, from where it can migrate to other tissue areas of the body such as the lungs and liver where it can develop into a third stage larvae.

Once ready, the developed larvae burrow into the airway and up towards the throat where they are coughed up and swallowed and once again find themselves back in the intestine where they can hatch into worms. Note that in serious infestations, the presence of many larvae in the lungs and airways can cause a serious case of pneumonia. Once the mature worms are back in the intestines they can then start to mate and shed eggs, and so the cycle begins again.

As previously mentioned, the larvae can also migrate to the uterus of pregnant animals and as a result many kittens and puppies are infected with worm larvae before birth! However, if the mother is free of worms, then this would not occur.

Diagnosing Roundworm

A veterinarian can diagnose the presence of roundworms by examining and testing a stool sample. The sample is placed in a chemical solution that allows the microscopic eggs to become more visible. In other cases the round worm is visibly identifiable in the stool or vomit.

Help for Roundworm

Conventional Treatments

There are a number of medications that can be prescribed by your vet or bought over the counter for the treatment of worms however, over-the-counter medications are often less effective than prescription types, and potentially more harmful to your pet. Commonly recommended wormers recommended for roundworms are Pyrantel Pamoate, mebendazole and albendazole.

Most medications for roundworm only act on matured roundworms and so 3 to 4 doses may be required to allow the other larvae to become more mature and therefore more susceptible to the treatment. Because worming medications are chemical-based, regular worming, while not without benefits, can be damaging to your pet’s immune system. Many people are therefore exploring alternatives treatments.

Recommended Product

Parasite Dr. is a 100% natural herbal treatment for roundworms. It is specially formulated to promote digestive health and balance, cleanse the blood and support the immune system. It also helps to cleanse the digestive system and promote healthy digestive functioning. Parasite Dr. comes in convenient capsule form. They can be swallowed whole. However, it is easier and more convenient to open the capsule and mix the contents with wet food or a treat. If you would like to find out more about this product, then please click here.