Types of Worms

Roundworm

• Virtually every puppy is born with roundworms or can become infected while nursing
• Children playing in contaminated dirt or sand can become infected with roundworms if they place their dirty fingers in their mouths
• Roundworm eggs can hatch in a child’s stomach, cause damage to the abdominal organs and blindness in extreme cases
• Roundworms cause diarrhoea and vomiting in young cats and dogs. They can also cause weight loss, a pot-bellied appearance, loss of vitality and lethargy. Severe infection can lead to pneumonia and obstruction of the intestine

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Hookworm (Ancylostoma)

• Hookworm larvae can penetrate human skin
• Walking barefoot in contaminated soil or putting contaminated dirt in their mouths can infect children
• Hookworms can cause lesions where they penetrate the skin, intestinal bleeding, anaemia, abdominal pain and diarrohea
• Most common in young and occasionally adult animals, hookworms can cause anaemia if present in large numbers. Other symptoms include intestinal distress, pale gums, bloody diarrhoea, weight loss and in some cases stunted growth, digested blood in the stool and a poor condition coat

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Whipworm

• Eggs can survive in soil for years, even in cold climates 
• People can become infected through ingestion of infected dog faeces, soil or grass, though transmission to humans is rare
• The signs of infection vary with the number of worms in the intestine. Small numbers of worms cause no symptoms but larger numbers can result in inflammation of the intestinal wall, causing large amounts of mucous. Sometimes haemorrhage into the intestine occurs, and anaemia can result. Dogs may have strain in defecating, diarrhoea, loss of weight, dehydration and loss of appetite

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Tapeworm

• Dogs and cats are at risk from these parasites that attach themselves to the wall of the animal’s small intestine
• The most common means of infection is by ingestion of flea larvae 
• Tapeworms (Echinococcus) do little harm to dogs and cats but can cause a severe infection – alveolar disease – in humans
• Symptoms are commonly white segments on the animal or in the stool. In rare cases, if present in large numbers, they can cause weight loss and debilitation. Sometimes, more commonly in dogs, the animal will scoot or drag its anus across the ground or carpet, due to anal irritation caused by segments

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Heartworm

• The deadliest of all canine parasites
• All dogs are at risk as mosquitoes spread heartworms
• Humans are at risk although infection is extremely rare
• Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, fainting, weight loss and loss of appetite, listlessness and nervousness. There may be anaemia, jaundice, poor coat condition, swelling of the abdomen and bloody sputum and stool. Advanced stages can be fatal. Cats can also suffer convulsions, diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and in certain cases blindness

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