How Do Dogs Get Hookworms

Dogs are prone to be parasite central at times. They are the main host for heartworms, a parasite that infects cats and even humans. Fleas and ticks love them and they are a breeding ground for hookworms it seems. Dogs can easily get hookworms and they aren’t as immediately detrimental to your pet’s health as other types of parasites, but it is important to detect and treat hookworms as soon as possible or your dog could end up suffering and costing you a lot of money in vet bills in the long run.

What are Hookworms?

Hookworms are tiny, worm-like parasites that live inside dogs and feed off of them – similar to a heartworm. The fact that hookworms and heartworms are parasites that live inside dogs is essentially where the similarity ends, because they do not look alike and they live in totally different parts of the dog’s body. Hookworms get their name from the small hook-like instrument on their head that they use to cling onto the wall of a dog’s intestinal tract – it helps to keep them there. They suck blood from the walls of the intestines and have been known to cause severe anemic conditions in young dogs. In most cases hookworms are a puppy issue, but they can develop in adult dogs as well.

How do Dogs Get Hookworms?

Hookworms can be passed to dogs through a couple of methods. The main sources of hookworms for dogs are through the mother’s milk when nursing, through the top layer of their skin, through the mouth and even through the placenta before the puppy was born. It is a rather natural thing that many puppies experience and for vets, deworming young dogs is a common practice and is advisable for all newborn puppies whether they are known to be infected or not. The younger the dog is the more prone to hookworm-related anemia they are, so it is imperative to get them treated as soon as possible.

The Trouble with Hookworms

Anemia is the main problem that puppies experience as a result of hookworm infection. This is because the hookworms lodge themselves on the dog’s intestinal walls and suck as much blood as they can, multiply and suck more blood. If you were losing that much blood, you would be infected too! One female hookworm can lay thousands upon thousands of eggs everyday, so the problem of hookworms is almost impractical to stop or contain without professional or medical assistance. Sometimes, when a large number of eggs are present it is possible to see the infection through an inspection of a puppies’ excrement, but not always.

Treating Hookworms in Your Dog

Fortunately for you and your dog, hookworms are quite easily treated. Most of the time an oral medication is all that is needed to cure the problem, but a follow up treatment a few weeks later to kill any leftovers that may have hatched. Your vet may even have a dewormer that tastes great, so your dog will lap it up like a treat. This is one of the simplest pet related problems to treat and it is relatively common and if detected early, hookworms can be a thing of the past.

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Natalie Williams is the founder of WormsInMyPet.com. Visit her site for more free tips on eliminating worms and preventing worms in your dog.