Is it possible to get worms from a dog: dangerous worms

Worms are a topic that is not usually discussed in polite society. Indeed, there is little pleasant in helminths, and many believe that becoming infected with them is a great shame.

In fact, every person in his life runs the risk of getting helminthiasis - this is the name of the disease in which the body is parasitized by worms, called helminths or simply worms.

Of course, helminthiasis must be treated. It is equally important to take preventive measures to prevent worm eggs from entering the body. In this article we will answer questions about how to do this.

Symptoms of helminthiasis: how to understand that there is a “stranger” inside you?

There are many signs of worm infection, and we will list the main ones. If you notice at least a few of the symptoms, you should consult a doctor:

• itching in the anus and genital area (typical of pinworm infection);
• urticaria - redness of the skin and rashes on it (allergic reaction to helminths);
• swelling of the mucous membranes (also observed due to exposure to allergens);
• abdominal pain, nausea, changes in appetite (increase or decrease), rapid weight loss;
• diarrhea, constipation, increased gas formation, other stool disorders;
• changes in blood composition;
• weakness, fatigue, dizziness;
• headache;
• enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen;
• pain in joints and muscles;
• blood in the urine, frequent urge to urinate;
• dry cough, shortness of breath;
• constantly elevated temperature.

However, there are cases when helminthiasis is asymptomatic for a long time. We recommend that you pay maximum attention to your health and make an appointment with a doctor for preventative measures. This is especially true after traveling to countries famous for unsanitary conditions.

How to help a dog

If your pet has worms, the first thing you should do is contact a veterinarian. He will carry out all the necessary diagnostic measures and announce the verdict. If the animal really has helminths, then there is no need to panic. Today there are a huge number of very effective means of combating parasites.

Antiparasitic drugs can be either in the form of drops or in the form of powders or tablets. Almost all of these drugs are freely available, so they can be purchased at any veterinary store or pharmacy. As a rule, experts prescribe Pirantel, Drontal or Prazicide.

Helminths: so what are they?

We call worms the simplest round or flat worms that parasitize the body of humans or animals. Experts identify more than 400 species of human worms, of which about 100 species have been found in Russia.

The most famous helminths are, of course, roundworms, pinworms and various types of tapeworms. However, even experts will not be able to list all existing types of worms. Moreover, in exotic countries you can become infected with helminths that are absolutely atypical for our region.

It is precisely because of the variety of worms that it is difficult to give the patient a correct diagnosis. Symptoms of helminthiasis can resemble manifestations of various diseases, depending on which particular parasite has entered the body.

In addition, a person can suffer from several types of helminths at the same time, which further complicates the clinical picture and has a detrimental effect on the patient’s condition.

Based on the places in which the worms are localized, they are divided into:

• cavity or luminal - living in different parts of the intestine (pinworms, whipworms, dwarf tapeworms, broad tapeworms);
• tissue - choosing body tissues as their habitat (muscles, lungs, heart, liver, skin, eyes, etc.).

The roundworms we all know can be classified as both types of helminths. Most often they live in the intestines, but sometimes roundworm eggs travel through the bloodstream to other organs of the body and develop there.

According to the World Health Organization, every second inhabitant of the Earth becomes infected with helminths every year without knowing it. Some Russian and foreign researchers come to the conclusion that certain parasites can be found in the bodies of 95% of people.

Other varieties of flatworms

There are several other types of parasites of this type:

• Echinococcus. A rather dangerous worm, as it can lead to the death of a dog in the shortest possible time. Parasites are distinguished by a large mouth with long sharp teeth. An animal becomes infected with them quite easily if its diet includes raw meat.
• Diphyllobothria. The length of this parasite reaches 10 m. A dog can become infected with such a worm if it is fed raw fish.
• Opisthorchia. They are small in size. This worm parasitizes in the gallbladder of an animal.

Since most of the listed helminths can freely live in the human body, it is very important to recognize the symptoms of the appearance of such parasites in time. The sooner you take action, the better it will be.

Ways of helminths entering the body

There are several of them, but the most common ways are four:

1. From person or animal to person. This is how, for example, pinworm infection occurs. If a person infected with this type of worms touches various objects without washing their hands, then this will become a risk factor for others (it is not without reason that enterobiasis - and this is what pinworm infection is called - is an occupational disease of teachers, because pinworms are a real scourge of primary schoolchildren) .
2. Through the soil. Worm eggs enter it along with human and animal feces, after which they are carried by water, insects, pets or wind (with dust particles) and end up on food or directly into the digestive tract or respiratory tract.
3. When eating food that has not been subjected to heat treatment. Raw or half-raw meat or fish infected with worms are very dangerous. Therefore, you should very carefully choose restaurants that serve sushi.
4. For insect bites. This happens quite rarely, but the risk of contracting helminthiasis through a bite increases when traveling to exotic countries.

Veterinarian advice

Before you remove worms from your dog, do not forget to treat your pet for fleas. They are carriers of certain types of worms, and can infect the dog much earlier than the time for the next preventive treatment.

Worms and vaccination

Treatment for worms is a mandatory procedure before vaccination. Worms weaken the body, making it weak before infection. In addition, the work of the immune system when infected with worms will be aimed at destroying them. Therefore, antibodies to the vaccine may not be developed at all or in very small quantities.

It is necessary to remove worms from your dog before vaccination no less than 10 days before the injection. If you were given an antihistamine 1-1.5 months before vaccination, you do not need to give a tablet before vaccination.

Other veterinary advice

• To prevent infection with worms, give your dog only foods that have been heat-treated, or even better, super premium or holistic food.
• If you are a fan of a raw food diet, before giving your dog meat and fish, cut it into small (portioned) pieces and freeze for several days. In this case, preventive treatment will have to be carried out more often.
• Do not allow your animal to drink from puddles. She can not only become infected with worms, but also pick up a dangerous infection.
• When walking, wear a muzzle on your dog to prevent contact with feces, rotten food, and garbage. The accessory will also help avoid poisoning.
• Do not allow stray dogs near your pet. They can transmit fleas, worms, skin and other diseases to him.
• Buy anti-worm medications only from veterinary pharmacies and pet stores.

Helminthiasis - a childhood disease?

Worms are often considered a childhood disease. The reason for this is that children often do not follow the simplest hygiene requirements: they do not wash their hands when coming from the street, after visiting the toilet or petting an animal, they eat dirty fruits and vegetables, and they may drink unboiled water. Kids, in addition, get to know the world by testing it by taste - they, as you know, put everything they can reach into their mouths. This is how parasite eggs enter the body.

The facts today are as follows: yes, children suffer from helminthiasis more often than adults. But this does not mean that advanced age is insurance against the penetration of worms into the body.

Hookworm

This is a type of nematode. However, in this case we are talking about worms, whose length rarely exceeds 2 cm. On the head of the parasite there is a pronounced mouth, in which sharp hook-shaped teeth are visible. Thanks to them, the parasite firmly adheres to the intestinal wall and begins to quickly absorb the mucous membrane. Hookworm can also be found in a dog's lungs. This is a very dangerous stage. In this case, worms pass from dogs to people through the animal's cough. But eggs can come out of more than just your pet’s mouth. They are also released through sweat ducts. If treatment is not promptly addressed, the pet may even die.

How dangerous are worms?

A reasonable question: if the worms will most likely disappear on their own after some time, is it worth treating them? Doctors answer: this step is necessary.

Some types of worms have a very long lifespan and during this time they will have time to harm our health. But even parasites such as pinworms, which die after about a month, are harmful to the body.

Possible consequences of infection:

1. The waste products of worms act on the human body as poisons or allergens, reducing overall well-being. An allergic reaction, in turn, can lead to Quincke's edema and death.
2. Living in human tissues and organs, helminths damage them mechanically and interfere with normal functioning.
3. Worm larvae, migrating throughout the body in the bloodstream or entering the respiratory tract, can clog blood vessels and cause bronchial obstruction.
4. Some types of helminths disrupt the digestive process, which can lead to severe poisoning.
5. Experts have discovered that there are helminths that cause cancer.

Worms are the most dangerous for children: in addition to a huge range of diseases and decreased immunity, they can cause developmental delays, both physical and mental.

Uncinarium stenocepalus

Despite their small size (no more than 2 centimeters in length), these worms are extremely voracious. They have two plate-shaped teeth, which dig into the mucous membranes and begin to absorb them. It is easy to distinguish the presence of these parasites. Typically, dogs begin to suffer from bloody diarrhea. If you do not contact a veterinarian in time, the worms can destroy your pet’s body in a few weeks.

If worms are allowed to be transferred from dog to person, this can cause similar problems with stool. Therefore, if such symptoms appear, you need to immediately check your body.

Treatment of helminthiasis

Having determined the presence of parasites in the body, the doctor develops a course of treatment based on which worms have “settled” in the person, and prescribes the necessary medications.

Some people believe that you can use “grandmother’s remedies” (for example, eating garlic) and thereby get rid of “uninvited guests”. But, as we have already said, helminths are diverse, and only a doctor, after conducting all the necessary research, can confidently conclude what type of helminthiasis the patient suffers from and how it should be treated.

SMC Best Clinic has everything you need to conduct laboratory tests, and our doctors have extensive knowledge about helminths and the treatment of helminthiasis. You can safely entrust your health to us.

Unpleasant surprises from nature

Many of us truly love animals. We perceive our pets as family members, often not really thinking about our own safety. But the idyll can be destroyed if minimal precautions are not taken. It is naive to believe that the tailed inhabitants of our apartments are one hundred percent protected from all kinds of diseases. They are by no means isolated from the environment. Even after an ordinary walk, they can bring some kind of “sore” into the house, which can cause a lot of trouble not only for the pet, but also for you and your household. And if you are going out of town, remember that only vaccinated animals can be taken out into the wild, otherwise, when faced with their wild counterparts, our pets can become a source of disease for us.

Preventive measures against worms

In order not to become infected with helminths, you need to remember about hygiene: always wash your hands, vegetables and fruits, get rid of the habit of wetting your fingers with saliva when turning pages, and generally putting your hands to your mouth, do not try foods in markets, eat with caution in unfamiliar restaurants and regularly take shower.

These measures, however, do not guarantee complete protection against worms - this should not be forgotten. Therefore, get tested at least once a year and be sure that there are no “dangerous residents” in your body.

Prevention measures

Among the preventive measures are:

1. Carrying out deworming of the female dog before mating to prevent infection with helminths from the partner.
2. Two weeks after the birth of puppies, preventive treatment is carried out.
3. Walk dogs only in designated areas.
4. You should not allow your dog to eat food picked up on the street.
5. Drinking water must be clean.
6. Regularly exterminate fleas.
7. It is not recommended to feed animals raw food, meat, and fish.

If you follow simple precautions, your pet will be healthy and playful, and you won’t have to worry about your future dog offspring. You will protect yourself from the possibility of becoming infected with worms from your dog.

Types of anthelmintic drugs

Veterinary pharmaceutical companies produce anthelmintics in different forms:

• pills;
• suspensions;
• drops on the withers.

The owner can choose any type of remedy, based on the treatment skills and character of the pet. The effectiveness of the drug does not depend on the form of release.

According to the spectrum of action, medicines are divided into monocomponent ones, which destroy a specific type of parasite, and complex medicines, which eliminate helminths of various types, as well as blood-sucking insects. The second option is preferable, since the lesions are usually combined.

Acts carefully

Prazitel Special has a patented composition. The main component of the drug is R-praziquantel. Thanks to him, it was possible to make the effect of the medicine as gentle as possible, since the dosage of the active substance was halved. At the same time, the effectiveness was maintained, which has been proven by research.

The drug also contains inulin and silybin, which promote the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora, normalize the function of the gastrointestinal tract and protect the liver from toxic metabolic products of helminths. This is especially true for a puppy’s fragile body.

The drug has the lowest, IV hazard class.