Hookworms and Roundworms. Treatment and prevention

Hookworms

• Cats and dogs contract hookworms by ingesting infected larvae in the soil. They can also get certain hookworms through their mothers’ milk.

• Hookworms attach to an animal’s intestinal lining and suck its blood potentially causing:
–	Diarrhea
–	Anemia
–	Weight loss
–	Weakness

• Hookworm eggs pass from an animal’s body through its feces and hatch into larvae.

• Humans may pick up the larvae when walking barefoot on infected soil, potentially causing:
–	Lesion-like markings under the skin (cutaneous larva migrans).
–	Damage to vital internal organs from swelling (visceral larva migrans).
–	Painful bloating, cramping and blockages in the digestive system (eosinophilic enteritis).

• An estimated 20% of the world’s human population is infected with hookworms.

Roundworms

• Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite of dogs, having an estimated prevalence of 25% to 75%.

• Lifecycle:
–	Eggs hatch into larvae in an animal’s small intestine.
–	Larva migrate to the liver, then the lungs and are coughed up and swallowed. The larvae mature into adults in the small intestine.

• Larva cause a pot-bellied appearance and poor growth in puppies.
–	Adult roundworms pass out of an animal in its feces.

• Adult female roundworms can produce up to 100,000 eggs a day.

• In the United States there are an estimated 10,000 cases of human roundworm infections each year. These infections may cause:
–	Damage to vital internal organs from swelling (visceral larva migrans).
–	Inflammation and/or scarring to the retina, producing permanent partial blindness (ocular larva migrans).

Treatment

• Human treatment
–	Antiparasitic drugs, usually in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs.
–	Ocular larva migrans require greater measures to lessen eye damage.

Prevention

• Clean your dogs’ living area often and properly dispose of your pets’ feces.

• Have your pets regularly checked by your veterinarian for the presence of worms.

• Put your dog on monthly preventive medications, that treat and control zoonotic parasites, such as hookworm and roundworm.