Worms In Dogs: Interrupting The Cycle
Although they do not usually pose serious problems, worms in dogs always seem to be an issue, especially for puppies. This is because of the way their lifecycle works. Given that worms in dogs can cause health problems in both dogs and humans, owners have a responsibility to interrupt the cycle and try to keep it broken.
Because most puppies are born with an infestation of roundworm, this is the most common type of dog worm in the UK. In puppies this infestation causes swollen bellies and may delay growth whilst in humans it may rarely cause blindness.
As is the case with all types of worms in dogs, understanding the lifecycle will allow it to be broken. At first, a female puppy is infected in the womb or through her mother’s milk. Inside the infected puppy, some worm larvae will migrate via the bloodstream to the muscles where they will lie dormant in indestructible cysts. In the event of pregnancy in later life, the larvae will be reactivated and will move through the blood to infect the puppies.
Not all the larvae in the young puppy will form the cysts previously mentioned. Rather, some will stay in the intestine and become adults. After feeding on the part-digested contents of the intestine and reaching maturity, the adult worm releases eggs which are passed with the dog’s faeces. In the open air, the eggs are infectious to other dogs and even people. The risk of infection for people does not arise from handling puppies, but from touching soil which has been contaminated by puppies’ faeces.
That is how the cycle works and to break it, owners must treat adult dogs for worms every three months. Puppies, being much more likely to be infested should be wormed every fortnight from the age of two weeks to twelve months, then monthly until the age of six months. Worms in dogs do pose a danger to public health, so even though the risk is relatively small, picking up after dogs and promoting hand hygiene in the whole family is vital to break the cycle and reduce risk.
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