Canine Parasites

A Comprehensive Guide to Canine Parasites

Canine parasites are organism that can suck nutrition out of a dog, whether feeding on or inside the body. Most people connect parasites with worms, fleas, and ticks, which are types but you will discover many more. The problem is that parasites can cause your beloved pet to become seriously sick, especially puppies. What makes canine parasites so challenging is that they sneak onboard and often go completely unnoticed until health has been compromised.

What happens is that once the organism develops from an infant into an adult, it lays eggs, producing more life. Therefore, a single canine parasite can quickly multiply. We wanted to provide specific information as to the types of canine parasites so you understand potential dangers for your pet.

Helminths – This is a worm consisting of a group of canine parasites to include the Nematode, Fluke, and Tapeworm, outlined below:

Nematodes – These worms are round, unsegmented, and longer than wide. These canine parasites can be microscopic or grow to 36 inches long, and the primary parasite for infecting dogs with disease. These parasites live in every organ or at least pass through, they have varied life cycles, and some bear live larvae while others lay eggs. The roundworm is the most common Nematode.
Tapeworm – These canine parasites are flat and segmented with a neck, head with suckers that attach to the intestinal wall, and several body segments. The tapeworm is challenging since each segment has an independent productive organ, most with packets of eggs.
Flukes – This worm is flat and leaf-shaped with an unsegmented body, ranging in size from half millimeter to half inch. However, they have suckers or hooks that attach to the dog’s organs.

Arthropods – This term means “joint foot” since arthropods has legs with joints. These canine parasites come as arachnids and insects, and as a phylum, they are actually a group of organisms not yet classified.

Arachnids – More commonly known as spiders, several species include lice that use suckers to feed off fluid from tissue

Insects – Most people think of insects as annoying bees, flies, and mosquitoes that bother people but they are also canine parasites to include fleas and lice carrying deadly diseases.

Protozoa – The biggest group of canine parasites are known as Protozoa, organisms with just one cell. Although microscopic in size, these parasites have caused the death of millions of people and animals all over the world. Comprised of the cytoplasm and nucleus, some of these organisms get around on the back of Flagella, long, hair-like structures that move quickly.

Interestingly, aberrant parasites can only survive if they enter the body of the right animal and if not, they die. Zoonoses are canine parasites that can move from the host body of the dog to a human while producing identical symptoms for both. Prepatent period canine parasites share the same timeframe for entering the host and wrecking havoc. For instance, it takes six months for the heartworm disease to enter the body through the bite of an infected mosquito and six months for the disease to take hold.

The bottom line is that when it comes to canine parasites, this is serious. Obviously, you want your pet dog to be happy and healthy, and keeping up with the dog’s shots and keeping him in a clean environment is usually enough to prevent the development of canine parasites. However, if your dog becomes lethargic, stops eating, and begins to lose weight, canine parasites could be the problem so seek immediate medical care.