Hookworms can cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs that are otherwise healthy. However, this parasite can be deadly for puppies. In today's post, our Rabun County vets share information about hookworms in dogs and how these parasites can be treated and prevented.
What are hookworms?
Hookworms are intestinal parasites that have hook-like mouth parts. Commonly diagnosed in dogs, they may be small (1/4" to 3/4" in size on average), but they can consume surprisingly large amounts of blood once they latch onto your pet's intestine. If your pet ends up with a significant hookworm infection, this may lead to anemia or cause the intestine to become inflamed.
Hookworms are often found in warm, moist environments. Dogs that reside in poor conditions that involve unclean living areas or overcrowding are at higher risk for hookworms than dogs that live in cleaner spaces with sufficient room for every animal.
How do dogs get hookworms?
Dogs can become infected with hookworms in one of four ways:
- Larvae can penetrate your dog's skin, leading to infection.
- A dog can easily ingest hookworm larvae when grooming their feet, or by sniffing contaminated soil or feces.
- Unborn puppies can contract hookworms via the mother's placenta in utero.
- Once born, puppies can contract hookworms by drinking milk from mother, if she is infected.
What is the life cycle of the hookworm?
There are three stages to the hookworm life cycle, including egg, larvae and adult. The stages progress as follows:
- Adult hookworms lay microscopic eggs in an infected dog. These eggs are then passed through the dog's feces, where they lie on the ground, hatch into larvae and contaminate the environment.
- Larvae can survive for weeks or even months before infecting an unsuspecting dog. Once they are in your pooch's body, they move to the intestine, where they mature into adults, lay eggs and restart the life cycle.
What are the signs of hookworms in dogs?
Intestinal upset is the most common symptom of hookworks in dogs. Other signs may include:
- Coughing
- Pale gums
- Skin irritations (especially around the paws)
- Generalized weakness
- Dry, dull coat
- Significant, unexplained weight loss
- Failure of a puppy to grow or develop properly
- Bloody diarrhea
If you've noticed any of these signs of hookworms in your dog, contact your vet right away. It's not uncommon for young puppies to die from complications of severe hookworm infections.
How are hookworms diagnosed?
Hookworms are easy to diagnose through a fecal flotation test.
Your vet will request that you bring in a fresh stool sample from your dog. The stool will be mixed with a solution that will cause the eggs (if present) to float to the top of the solution where they can easily be spotted.
However, this test is only accurate once the worms have matured enough to begin producing eggs. Unlike some other worms seen in dogs, you will not typically see hookworms in your dog's poop because the worms stay securely latched onto your pet's intestinal lining until the condition is treated.
It typically takes two to three weeks for worms to reach maturity and begin producing eggs, for this reason, fecal floats may not be accurate in diagnosing hookworms in very young puppies.
How are Dog Hookworms Treated?
A class of drugs called anthelmintics can be used to eliminate hookworms. These medications are typically given orally and rarely produce side effects. That said, they are only effective at killing adult hookworms, so it will be necessary to repeat treatment two to three weeks following the first treatment.
If your dog is suffering from severe anemia due to hookworms, a blood transfusion may be needed to save your dog's life.
Can hookworms infect humans?
Lying on infected ground can allow the hookworm larvae to begin burrowing into the skin, leading to a condition called 'ground itch'.
In some rare cases, hookworm larvae can penetrate and damage internal organs including the eyes, which can cause blindness and complications. Good bathing and hygiene habits can help to prevent hookworm infections in people.
How can I prevent my dog from contracting hookworms?
There are a number of key approaches when it comes to preventing the spread of hookworms in dogs:
- Puppies should be dewormed at approximately two to three weeks of age, and again if symptoms occur.
- Nursing female dogs should be dewormed when their puppies are also dewormed.
- Always clean up after your dog when at the park or out on walks, and keep your yard free of dog waste.
- Be sure to wash your hands frequently when around your dog or after cleaning up dog waste. Also, ensure that your children wash their hands frequently.
- Keep your dog up-to-date on their parasite prevention. Many products formulated to prevent heartworm will also help to prevent hookworm. Speak to your vet to learn more about the right parasite prevention for your canine companion.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.