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Parasitic Worms and their Control |
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Worms are parasites, that is they feed off the host pet, without giving anything
in return. It is in the parasite's interest that the host is not significantly
harmed because if the host cannot compete successfully for food and dies, the
parasite would die also. This is why animals infested with worms show no
apparent signs and will appear perfectly normal. However where there are a lot
of worms present, the amount of food lost from the pet, or the physical presence
of the parasite can cause problems, such as a failure to gain weight despite an
increased appetite or a blockage in the intestine causing vomiting and
dehydration.
In cat and dog veterinary practice, we see mainly two types of worm namely roundworms and tapeworms. Roundworms These worms appear threadlike, with round bodies and tapered ends and the adults live within the intestine. Larger worms look like "spaghetti". Almost all puppies and kittens acquire roundworm infestation very early in life either directly through the womb or in the milk from their mothers. The immature worms migrate around the body eating their way through the tissues. Once in the chest they are coughed up and swallowed allowing the life cycle to be completed and more eggs to be produced. Roundworms are one of the most prolific of species and a single worm can lay as many as ten million eggs per day. The eggs passed can reinfest the mother, the puppies and also ourselves. It is the accidental ingestion of these microscopic eggs that causes the problems associated with worms in people and in particular is a cause of blindness in young children. In many instances you will be unaware that your pet has roundworm as the worms themselves live within the body and the eggs passed are microscopic. You may, however, see the occasional worm vomited or passed in the faeces. If this happens and you are not sure what the worm is, you can bring it in to us for identification. Tapeworms Tapeworms are long flat segmented creatures but evidence of tapeworm tends to be in the form of small, dried segments seen on faeces and stuck around the anus of your pet. These segments are egg cases and often are still moving when seen "the wriggly rice grain" or are seen after they have dried out and can look like sesame seeds. The main body of the tapeworm remains within the intestine where the head of the tapeworm is attached to the gut wall via suckers. The lifecycle of the worm involves two hosts, developing partly in one, before that host is consumed by the cat or dog in which the adult tapeworms are found. Commonly we see tapeworms in both cats and dogs, where the flea is this "intermediate" host. We also see other tapeworms where small rodents and birds are the intermediate host and therefore more often seen in cats who hunt. An old wives' tale! Dogs and cats who rub their bottoms on the floor almost never do so as a result of worms. Most commonly the irritation comes from the anal glands. If your pet does this bottom rubbing, it is advisable for us to examine him or her. For further information we have a leaflet on anal glands Controlling Worms There is a wide range of products available from all sorts of places to treat worms. Many "shop" products especially those for tapeworm are ineffective and many of the roundworm preparations are based on piperazine which is an inexpensive ingredient unnecessarily packaged to look expensive. In our view piperazine has been completely superseded by more modern alternatives and is well past retirement age! Whatever product is chosen, it must be remembered that worming is a treatment not a prevention. Unlike a vaccination booster which gives protection for the coming year, a worming tablet simply "wipes the slate clean". Exposure to worms a few days later would result in re-infestation. We keep three products which we feel should meet most worming requirements. Drontal is the "gold standard wormer", I is a combined ingredient tablet that comes in two versions one for dogs, the other for cats. It kills all bowel roundworms and tapeworms seen in the UK. Fenbendazole is an ingredient that comes in packets of granules which are very convenient as they can be sprinkled on to the food. In addition, we stock a palatable chewable treat for cats. Fenbendazole has a good effect on the tissue stages of roundworm and is very effective at clearing adult roundworms and "hunting type" tapeworms but we tend to use Drontal for "flea type" tapeworms. There are also two "spot on" treatments which can be used to worm our patients. The first is Stronghold which is primarily used as a flea and external parasite killer but does treat roundworms. The second is Droncit Spot On, which is used to kill tapeworms. Therefore even for the cat that refuses all oral therapies, there is a solution! When to worm. We advise you to worm puppies and kittens at 2,4,6,8,and 12 weeks of age then at six months of age. Thereafter, we recommend pets in contact with children to be wormed every three months, otherwise every six months. We tend to recommend Fenbendazole in the young animal where roundworms are the major problem and either Fenbendazole or Drontal the adult dog or cat. We shall discuss worming with you at each vaccination visit but please ask at any time if you need guidance. Remember :Adult round and tapeworms live for many years and if your pet is unwormed, he or she may be shedding millions of eggs into the environment. Worming is a necessary part of responsible pet ownership and it falls to each of us with pets to perform this simple task, not only for the benefit of our pets but animals and people, in general.
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