Cucumber Tapeworm in Dogs

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cucumbertapewormThe cucumber tapeworm is also known as Dipylidium caninum (scientific name) or the double pore tapeworm. It is dubbed the ‘double pore tapeworm’ because the adults have genital pores on both sides of it. Each side separately has both male and female reproductive organs.

The cumber tapeworm is normally found in the small intestine of dogs. The growth time of this type of tapeworm is around twenty one days, from egg to adult and will be around eighteen inches long.

 

How are Cucumber Tapeworms in Dogs Spread to Other Hosts?

As with other types of tapeworm, they can be spread by fleas which ingest the larvae, which will always easily find a new host.

How Do You Know if Your Dog Has a Cucumber Tapeworm Infection?

When fully grown, you will usually notice segments in the dogs anus and he will possibly be rubbing his back end along the ground.

The double pore tapeworm can infect humans (ingested through contaminated water), and can particularly spread to children.

Tapeworms in Dogs

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What are the Symptoms of Tapeworm Infection

There are several types of tape worm that can live in dogs. In many species, the tapeworm will spend part of its life cycle in an animal which is not a dog (the other infected animal is called the ‘intermediate host’). This is usually how they become infected.

The most common tapeworm is Dipylidium caninum, also called the double pore tapeworm or cucumber tapeworm, where fleas are the intermediate hosts. This form can be found in any dog (or cat) which has had a heavy flea infestation.

The Taenia species can be found in dogs that hunt and eat wild animals, like rabbits. Diphyllobothrium  infect canines which eat raw freshwater fish, in areas such as the Arctic, Scandinavia, Russia and the Pacific Northwest.

The Echinococcus species occur in may parts of the world including the Middle East, South America, some parts of Asia (China in particular) and can also be found in the western parts of the USA – California and Arizona. In Australia, they are also a problem to Dingoes.

Affected dogs, wolves and foxes pass eggs and larvae in their stools, which can then be picked up by grazing animals, like sheep. The infected animals develop fluid fill structures in their tissues called hydatid cysts. These contain forms of the worm that can re-infect dogs.

Treatment for Tapeworms in Dogs

Tapeworm infections rarely cause sickness dogs, but it can be upsetting for the owner to see tapeworm segments in a dogs feces or around its anus. How to get rid of tapeworms, is usually with a treatment called praziquantel. It is effective against all tapeworms.

Can Humans Get Tapeworms from Dogs?

Transmission of tapeworms, from canines to humans is quite rare. However, the parasite can enter our bodies in contaminated drinking water. The Echinococcus species, can cause a potentially fatal disease in people, called hydatid disease when we act as ‘intermediate hosts’.

The symptoms are the development of hydatid cysts which need to be removed by surgery, as drugs are non-effective.

Because the resulting hydatid disease is so serious, dogs living with sheep should be treated with praziquantel every two months, for prevention rather than a cure.

As part of their pet passport schemes, countries such as Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom require that all dogs and cats entering their countries are treated with praziquantel. This virtually eliminates the risk of a domestic animal bringing Echinococcus into these countries.

Heartworms in Dogs

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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heartworms in Dogs?

Canine heartworm disease (dirofilaria immitis infection) results from the transmission of microscopic larvae to dogs, via mosquito bites. It is a potentially fatal disease affecting more than one million dogs in all fifty states of the USA. Even though heartworm preventive treatments have improved recently, along with increased public awareness, it still posses a severe threat to dogs health.

When the heartworm larvae mature into adults (which live in the top right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary arteries), the infection starts to take its toll on its host.

The adult heartworms will occasionally spill over into the right atrium (top chamber of the heart) and the large blood vessels which return blood to the heart from the liver. This causes blood clots to develop in the lungs (from this obstruction) when worms occupy the pulmonary arteries. Congestive heart failure can result from the obstruction caused by a heavy infection.

The severity of symptoms very much depends on the size of  the individual and the amount of worms present. Small pets will suffer more from smaller infections, than will large animals. Infected hosts will show different degrees of symptoms from loss of appetite, heart failure (from their decreased tolerance to exercise), coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath, weight loss and pulsation of blood flow which is visible in the neck veins.

When the pulmonary arteries are infected, a dog can cough up a bloody phlegm. If the veins from the liver are infected, liver failure may follow, including anaemia, jaundice and ascites ( fluid fill abdomen).

How Do I Know if My Dog Has Heartworms?

The diagnosis and treatment of heartworms is obstinate. Tests will often show negative results of the condition and there is no ‘approved’ treatment, which is not life threatening (to the dog).

A blood test called heartworm antigen test identifies the presence of adult female heartworms. Occasionally a false negative test occurs (failure to detect worms). This false reading could occur in a light infestation or of only male worms.

A microfilarial blood test relies on identifying microfilaria (microscopic forms female produced parasite). Again, a negative results can sometimes occur. About 10 to 25 percent of infected dogs do not have microiflariae in the blood stream. But this does not mean there is no infection.

An X-ray may show an enlarged right ventricle and enlarged pulmonary arteries.

An ECG (Echocardiography or cardiac ultrasound scanning) will sometimes show a disturbance of the heart rhythm, which reveals the presence of the adult worms.

How to Treat and Prevent Heartworms

The most effective initial treatment is to stop all exercise. After that, the type of medical treatment used will depend of the level of infection. But all treatments are dangerous to dogs and can cause death, because even a dead heartworm may cause a blockage and blood clot. In this case, a vet may prescribe aspirin to thin the blood and disperse the clot.

Compounds contain arsenic are given to kill adult worms, although arsenic causes a variety of side effects. The usual drug given is melarsomine (Immiticide) by injection. It has the widest margin of safety and kills over ninety percent of adult worms. Safer that previous treatments, melarsomine therapy may lead to other problems.

Arsenic treatment is more dangerous for older dogs. If your dog is old, your vet will discuss the pros and cons of their use. In this case you may be advised to administer a low daily dose of aspirin.

Four to five weeks after drug therapy, a further heartworm anitgen test may be done. If the results are negative, this usually means that all adult worms are dead. If the test if positive, your vet will discuss re-treatment.

A microfilaria concentration test will probably follow. If it is positive, the next step is to kill microfilariae. Either milbemycin oxime or ivermectin are can be administered, outside of there normally approved use.

Heartworm Prevention

First you should keep your dog indoors at times when mosquitoes are most active (or feeding), which is normally at dusk. If this not practical, you need use a heartworm preventative medication. This treatment should be given to your dog pre-mosquito season (about four weeks before), but if you do live in a region (or country) where they are active year round, treatment should also be given year round.

If you live in a highly infested area (of mosquitos) a new born puppy should be kept indoors and preventative medication should begin within eight weeks of them going outdoors.

When  traveling with your dog to an endemic area, begin prevention one month before travel and continue until one month after returning home.

Can humans get heartworms from dogs?

No. However, you can possibly get an infection from a mosquito bite. But this is rare.

Whipworms in Dogs Symptoms and Treatment

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Whipworms are thread-like parasites, 5-7 centimetres long in length. They live in the colon and small intestine and are blood suckers causing dogs with heavy infestations to develop bloody diarrhoea and weight loss.

Transmission of Whipworm

The worms produce eggs, which pass out in the dogs faeces. A new host can only become infected by ingesting the eggs.

Diagnosis and treatment

Unlike hookworms and roundworms, whipworms do not produce many eggs. This makes diagnosis by examining the dogs faeces for eggs more difficult. Treatment is with a de-worming drug and has to be repeated monthly for al least three months.

Whipworm eggs are very stable, surviving for years in the environment. Good park and garden hygiene (stoop and scoop) is the key to reducing environmental contamination.

Hookworms in Dogs

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What are the Symptoms and Treatment of Hookworms in Dogs

Hookworms are a common, tiny intestinal parasites that can infect dogs and puppies of all ages. A hookworm infestation begins as they attach themselves to the lining of your pets intestines, with sharp, tiny teeth and suck blood. This can cause anemia (through blood loss), diarrhea, poor appetite, weakness and weight loss.

The most important hookworm infection or species in dogs to be aware of, is called Ancylostoma caninum. Up to half a centimeter in length, this intestinal worm, which is common in hot humid climates such as many parts of Australia and the southern United States, can cause severe disease in canines.

Another species, Uncinaria stenocephala, can survive in colder climates but causes less serious illness.

Transmission and Growth of Hookworm

Adults produce eggs that pass out of the body in the dogs feces, which hatch into larvae on moist ground. The larvae can infect new hosts in several different ways. Pups usually acquire the disease as a result of larvae infecting the mother, which is then passed on to the pup in her milk or across the placenta before being born.

Young puppies and adult canines can also become infected by accidentally ingesting hookworm larvae in the soil or on grass or by direct penetration of larvae through the pads on their feet, or skin on their bellies.

Pets (other mammals, like cats) can become infected  by eating the meat of another animal that contain the parasite. Once inside the new host, the larvae will eventually move to the intestines, but some become encysted in muscle or in a pregnant bitch they may migrate to the mammary glands or uterus.

Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of hookworms can easily be ascertained by finding eggs in a stool sample of a dog, but signs of the disease could develop before eggs are even noticed. Young puppies often deteriorate quickly from massive blood loss; they will pass dark or bloody red diarrhoea in this case.

Re-hydration (restoring the pups water balance) and immediate treatment for shock is essential after confirmation of diagnosis.

Some adults (canines) carry hookworms and do pass their eggs and are free of signs of disease. Others develop serious symptoms, similar to those seen in pups. Worming with a drug such as fenbendazole or pyrantel will eliminate adult worms but not all encysted ones.

So treatment must be repeated every two weeks, for eight weeks is recommended.

Prevention

Dogs that have recovered from illness are often carriers, which will continue to reinvest the environment. So good environmental hygiene and preventative worming of pregnant bitches helps reduce risks from infection in other dogs.

Is There a Risk to the Public

Hookworm larvae living in soil can penetrate human skin and cause an itchy, bump skin condition known as creeping eruption or ‘cutaneous larva migrans’. The use of antihistamine cream is beneficial in relieving itching, although the condition clears without any specific treatment.

Leishmaniasis in Dogs

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Leishmaniasis in dogs is a serious protozoal infection and parasitic disorder, which is very common in southern Europe. Almost half of the dogs found in Greece, right up the Adriatic coast to Italy, round the Mediterranean coast through Spain, France and down to Portugal are affected. So if you are traveling abroad with your pet, you should consult your vet beforehand.

The first reporting of canine leishmaniasis in the U.S. was in 2000. It was found to be present in pack hounds in areas of the south east of America.

Bites from sand flies are usually the cause of infection, which  affects macrophages (white blood cells). Transmission of leishmaniasis occurs when sand flies pick up white blood cells from an infected dog and pass on the infection to the next host, when it feeds on the new dogs.

There are two forms of the disease – visceral leishmaniasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis. The latter infection affects the skin and is not normally fatal. The infected patient will develop a dandruff type of skin condition, which may become discolored and ulcerate.

But the victim of the visceral form (usually fatal), will show signs of anaemia, diarrhoea and will (probably) look emaciated and suffer spleen and liver damaged.

Diagnosis and treatment of leishmaniasis affected canines

Smears are taken from lymph nodes or skin scrapings, which if the dog is infected, will show organisms being present. Treatment is with pharmaceutical drugs, but are often in-effective. And dogs with the visceral form of the disease will normally not survive.

Can leishmaniasis in dogs be prevented?

Because sand flies bite at night, it is best to keep dogs indoors from dusk until dawn in localities where sandflies exist (You would need to research your own locality and if you do live in a contagious are, you should take precautions).

Pet Dogs Health Advice

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Your pet dogs health is as important as your own health, so your dog and your vet will inevitably depend on your description of what you have seen, felt, heard or smelled. What you tell your vet, and what he or she then ascertains from examining your dog, giving a diagnosis is at the core of problem oriented veterinary medicine.

This basically means that the information you gather about your canines general health and pass on to your vet, can help define the issues which you are troubled with (ie, why you took your dog to the vet). Then the veterinarian will address the problem and follow up over time.

Observation by you, your vet and even family members and friend of your pets behavior is vital for accurate diagnosis, treatment and potential medication. We can only describe any animals clinical signs, by what we notice. So as dog owners, we can only guess their overall health condition and how a dog feels as a result of basically checking things like – is the animals nutrition intake up, or down? Is the dog drinking more or less water?

Most dogs will remain in good health for the duration of their lives and sickness is uncommon. To stay in a healthy condition, many natural processes take place in your dogs body, which defend it against diseases and problems resulting from injury. Throughout its life and at every second of each day, a dogs body is identifying potential health problems, protecting itself and repairing damage from within. To fulfill this natural process, the cells of the dogs body are constantly repairing and renewing themselves, as instructed by several different chemicals and by the dogs own genetic make-up.

A Dogs Health Depends on Cell Regeneration

Your dogs body is constantly rebuilding itself. In areas such as the skin and the stomach lining, cells are constantly being renewed and replaced. For a wound to heal, new cells are required which repair and regenerate the damaged ones.

The process of cell repair and regeneration are controlled by chemical regulators called cytokines, which are proteins so small and so scarce they are almost impossible to detect. Some cytokines stimulate cell growth, while other prevent this progression. This paradoxical process is a natural, well regulated balance, which works to better the greater welfare and health of the dog.

Healing depends on coordination of cytokine activity. If you consider that the entire lining of your dogs stomach and intestines is renewed several times a week, this will give you an idea of the level of coordination required within the body. This natural balance of the cytokines is influenced by hormones produced by the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. It is also affected by the dogs nervous system (by his state of mind).

Find more general advice by searching this site for your specific problem, in the search box above.

Dog Vomiting and Regurgitation

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Why do Dogs Vomit or Regurgitate Their Food?

Dog Vomiting is caused by an upset stomach, which could mean a problem inside or outside the gastrointestinal system. There are several types, which you can read about below. Regurgitation is when food is almost effortlessly vomited by the dog without retching. The food is forcefully brought up by muscular contractions.  Regurgitation is often mistaken for vomiting.

There are three stages to vomiting. Nausea is the first stage. You would notice listlessness, shivering, hiding, yawning, lip-smacking, increase salivation and increase swallowing.

The second stage is retching. This is when muscular contractions occur in the stomach but nothing is produced (vomited). The final stage is vomiting itself, where the contents of the stomach are expelled from the mouth and sometimes the dogs nose.

Acute Dog Vomiting

If a dog scavenges something which does not agree with its system, he can cure himself by throwing it up. This is called acute vomiting. This is also true for foreign bodies that should not be in the stomach. Worms may also be removed this way and motion sickness is another cause.

Usually, all you need to do (for a health pet) is withhold food and water for a few hours and the problem should be rectified.

Intermittent and Chronic Vomiting

When a dog vomits intermittently, this may be caused by a food allergy. It could also be attributed to more serious conditions such as metabolic diseases, ulcers or even tumors. If your dog shows these signs, which last a few days, you should see your vet within 48 hours.

Chronic vomiting is far more serious and warrants your dog seeing a vet immediately, as it be caused by a stomach irritation or by a life threatening obstruction in the stomach. Do not delay – immediately seek professional treatment to relieve the problem and also to determine the cause.

Projectile Canine Vomiting

This is also a very serious problem and needs a visit to the vet immediately you notice problems. This could either mean an obstruction which is blocking food from leaving the stomach or it could be caused by a brain condition. Do not delay taking your dog to a vet.

Vomiting Blood

This would suggest an ulcer in the stomach or in the small intestine. It could also be caused from poisoning, a tumor or serious infection, or even a foreign body lodged. In this case, you must see a veterinarian immediately.

Vomiting Bile

If your dog is vomiting bile, a condition called reflux gastritis could be to blame. The cause is a mild allergy. Dogs with reflux gastritis often throw up at the same time each day, but they will appear otherwise healthy. This problem can be controlled with an anti-nausea drug such as metoclopramide.

Food Restrictions

The length of time to hold back food from your dog will vary in each case, depending on the severity and the cause (if it has been determined), but is usually between 4 and 24 hours after vomiting has ceased. It will also depend on the age and fitness of the individual.

During this period, it is best to give small and frequent amounts of drinking water, which can also be in the form of ice cubes. Soda water is also a good neutralizer of the build up of acid in the stomach of a vomiting dog.

Tips for re-introducing food after vomiting:

  • Offer a bland diet
  • Avoid high fat content foods (ie, no red meats)
  • Avoid high protein meals (ie, don’t offer a whole chicken breast at once)
  • Introduce low fat foods
  • Offer low protein food quantities

This will help stretch the stomach to make is easier for food to leave the stomach and head off through the intestines.

Home Remedies for Dog Vomiting

  • One part low fat cottage cheese and two parts boiled rice
  • One part chicken and two parts boiled rice
  • Chamomile – Use either dried herb or drops of chamomile liquid
  • Nux Vomica is a homeopathic remedy which can be used for vomiting. It is used for humans, but can also be used to alleviate dog vomiting problems.
  • Locate the dogs Acupressure ST36 point, as in photo, twice a day for a few days – press it for 60 seconds.

dog accupressure point ST356

Causes of Canine Vomiting in Brief

The most common cause of vomiting is scavenging! Dogs will readily eat most food substances in front of them (whatever they may be) or offered to them, such as table scraps and treats.

If food which the dog vomits back up is undigested, this would indicate the cause of vomiting is likely to be in the  stomach. If the vomit contains yellow bile, the problem may be in the intestines and if there is blood in the vomit, this could be a more serious health problem for you dog, such as ulcers or erosion to the lining of the digestive system.

Dietary causes of vomiting:

  • Scavenging
  • Overeating
  • Food intolerance
  • True allergy
  • Gastris (inflammation of the stomach)
  • Parasites
  • Ulcers
  • Foreign bodies
  • Tumors
  • Bloat – dilation volvulus
  • Motility Problems

Intestinal Disorders:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease, colitis
  • Parasites
  • Foreign bodies
  • Tumors
  • Infections – parvo, distemper
  • Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
  • Intussusception (telescoping of intestines)
  • Constipation

Dog Constipation

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What Dog Constipation Symptoms Should You Look Out For?

A dog normally defecates up to four times per day, so if you notice regular deviations from this, it would indicate your dog is showing signs of constipation. Symptoms can be treated with a number of home remedies or pharmaceutical treatments which will cure and can prevent dog constipation returning.

Constipation is common and occurs some time during a dogs life. In most cases, it lasts only a couple of days at the most. A constipated dog passes only a small amount of feces (poop), or tries to defecate without success, or in some cases it will not even try due to discomfort or pain.

Usually, a dog which is suffering from constipation is easily diagnosed. However, the same symptoms can be attributed to other stomach and digestive problems. In extreme cases where blood or mucus is seen in the dogs feces, a vet should be consulted as this could indicate a bacterial or viral infection such as salmonella or E. Coli.

If your dog is straining to have a bowel movement and passes a hard, dry stool this would indicate that your dog is constipated and needs attention. Another sign to look out for would be long periods of time before movements, as well as loss of appetite and apparent stomach discomfort, which as the dogs owner you would easily recognize.

These are some of the causes of dog constipation:

  • Lack of exercise
  • Lack of accessible drinking water
  • Diet includes spicy or fatty foods
  • Food allergies
  • Change in diet (eg, wet food to dry food)
  • Lack of fibre (yes, dogs need fibre in their diets just like humans!)
  • Lack of grooming
  • Stress from psychological problems
  • an enlarged prostate in male dogs

If a dog has this problem on a regular basis, a more serious condition called megacolon could be responsible. This is an abnormal dilation (shrinking) of the colon.

Canine Constipation Treatments and Preventions

What can you give a dog to cure and relieve constipation and keep him healthy? The best treatment is a change in diet, which would include a quality food and a high fibre diet. When I say ‘quality’, I am talking about raw foods only, not the processed kinds you will find in tins and large bags of complete food. The increased nutrition in your dogs diet, should cure the problem and prevent him from getting constipated in the future.

Another important part of a dogs diet, is to always have drinking water available. Dehydration is a major cause of diarrhoea in canines.

Providing a suitable, healthy (fiber-rich) diet, along with adequate drinking water is always available, the next important step is to make sure the dog is exercised regularly. At least two, preferably three, twenty to thirty minute walks should be given.

This is even more important (for the dogs digestive system, as well as other reasons) if ‘Fluffles’ is a house dog, with little or no access to a back yard or exercise area (for example, living in a second floor apartment. This will help cure the constipation and help prevent it in the future.

Dogs are ambitious eaters. When food is available, they will usually always eat and eat more than they actually need. If your dog is constipated, he could be suffering digestive problems, through over eating. So table scraps and other treats or snacks offered throughout the day, could be the cause of the problem. To relieve his discomfort, try changing his eating habits to a more regular intake of food.

My dogs feed on some kibble in the morning, then eat one meal around my own dinner time (around 6pm).

To increase the fiber in your dogs diet, try the following:

  • Canned pumpkin, which is a natural laxative can be added to food until normal defecation returns
  • Dried beans
  • Vegetables, raw or boiled slightly
  • Oat bran
  • Up to half a cup of milk (helps to lubricate the colon)

Adding Aloe Vera juice in small amounts is also a great way of relieving this problem for your pooch.

There are also fiber supplements which can be bought online, see the Dog Health Supplies page.

Dog Health Supplies

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The dog health supplies page is currently under construction, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Please come back soon for a detailed list of natural (as well as more well known) dog supplies which can help alleviate and cure your dog health problems.