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Below you will find some of the most common parasites related to both puppies and dogs alike and
the most commonly related symptoms.
Roundworms
Causes and Behaviour:
1. Most puppies get this from mother’s milk.
2. They can contract this by ingesting infected food, water, vomit, or feces.
Symptoms:
1. Puppies may have a swollen abdomen and stomach pain
2. Lethargy, vomiting, abnormal stool, lack of interest in food
Hookworks
Causes and Behavior:
1. Most puppies get this parasite through mother’s milk.
2. They can penetrate the skin in a contaminated environment.
3. Parasite lives in the small intestine, living off animal’s blood.
Symptoms:
1. Puppy may look unhealthy or have poor appetite.
2. Linings of nostrils, lips, and ears will be pale.
3. Dark, tarry stool, diarrhea, or constipation.
Tapeworm
Causes and Behavior:
1. Caused by ingesting a host animal that is infected, such as a bird, rodent, or fleas.
2. Very common if dog is infested with fleas.
3. They tend to settle in the small intestine.
Symptoms:
1. Tapeworms or segments may be visible in the feces or in the fur around the anus.
2. They are white or cream colored, and may be the size and shape of a grain of rice or cucumber seed.
3. Animal may lick or bite anus and drag its butt to relieve itching.
Coccidia
Causes and Behavior:
1. This is a protozoan that attacks the intestines
2. Can spread through contact with an infected dog’s feces
3. Can be caused by the stress of weather changes, environmental changes, moving, and travel.
Symptoms:
1. Watery, mucous-like diarrhea.
2. May turn into bloody diarrhea and dog may show an inability to hold it.
3. Animal may be in a weakened state
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Giardia
Causes and Behavior:
1. This is a protozoan that affects the intestines.
2. This is the most common parasite that affects humans
3. Infection may be sudden, temporary, intermittent, or chronic in nature
4. Approximately 50% of young puppies will become infected with this parasite
5. Most commonly spread through contaminated water, but may also spread through infected feces, directly or indirectly.
Symptoms:
1. Will cause diarrhea that is soft, frothy, greasy, and with a strong, awful odor or excessive mucous.
Parvovirus
Causes and Behavior:
1. Direct contact with an infected dog or sniffing an infected dog’s stool.
2. People can carry the virus in on their shoes.
3. The virus tends to attack the lining of the intestines
Symptoms:
1. Severe, bloody diarrhea
2. Lethargy, anorexia, fever, vomiting, severe weight loss.
3. Gums, lips and tissue around the eyes may appear bright red due to fever.
4. Dogs could also be hypothermic and have a very low body temperature.
5. Stomach may be painful.
Demodectic Mange
Causes and Behavior:
1. This is an inflammatory disease that is more genetic in nature.
2. Dogs with immune system issues may be predisposed to this.
3. This is transmitted from mother to puppies, but is not contagious to other animals.
Symptoms:
1. Hair loss is usually seen on the face, trunk, or legs, but may be generalized to the whole body.
2. Patches might be red or appear scaly
3. Dog may become very itchy, or may not itch at all
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