12 Most Common Parasites In Dogs And The Symptoms

Ever imagined a blood sucking, flesh infesting, pain causing organism on yourself? Just a thought of it can cause goose bumps on your arms. Imagine, a being actually suffering from one such infestation. Yes, we are referring to what is commonly known to us as “Parasites.” A parasite is an organism that lives in/on an organism & thrives by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense. Parasite infestation is not limited to a particular species and thus could occur in your furry pal as well. In fact, our pets can have a whole lot of them. Here are the two major categories into which these parasites are classified:

The external parasites; the ones which are found on your pooch’s fur & skin, eg., ticks and fleas

The internal parasites; the ones which are found inside the body of your canine, eg., tapeworms & roundworms

Let us have a look at some of the parasites and their effects on our furry pals:

Fleas: 

These are small flightless parasites that live by consuming the blood of their hosts. Flea infestation causes severe skin infections like dermatitis. Fleas, being a carrier of tapeworm, can also be a cause of tapeworm infestation in your canine.

 Ticks: 

A tick infestation can cause a variety of tick-borne diseases in your pooch viz., Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, bartonellosis, etc.

 Ear Mites:

 More commonly found in puppies and spread via direct contact with other animals, these parasites are found in your dog’s ear canal and is the reason behind severe irritation and itchiness of the ears.

 Demodex Mites: 

These are microscopic parasites thriving on dog skin which are not harmful when few but can cause mange or demodicosis when left unchecked resulting into hair loss of your furry pal.

 Cheyletiella Mites:

Identified by its unique claw-shaped mouthparts, these mites thrive on your pooch’s skin causing dandruff and itchiness.

Cuterebra Parasite: 

The larval stage of the Cuterebra fly or the botfly, this parasite uses your canine as a host to complete its life cycle. It usually resides around the neck and breathes by creating a small hole in the skin to breathe.

Giardia:

Giardia lamblia, a one celled protozoan parasite commonly picked up through contaminated water, makes your canine’s intestine their abode. It can cause giardiasis, i.e., diarrhoea in your dog.

Hookworm: 

Generally picked up from the environment or from the mother’s milk in puppies, hookworms are intestinal parasites that lead to symptoms like diarrhoea, weight loss, anemia, etc.

Whipworm: 

Commonly seen in dogs, these intestinal parasites attach themselves to the walls of the large intestine and feed on your canine’s blood. The parasite is generally picked up through environment and causes symptoms like diarrhoea, weight loss, etc. on heavy infection.

Roundworm:

 These intestinal parasites feed on the food the dogs eat, resulting into less being available for the pooch. Symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, pot belly, should give you enough signs to get your dog treated with a vet for this parasite.

Tapeworm:

These intestinal parasites transmitted on consuming raw meat or by fleas, rarely cause a serious disease. Its infestation results into malnourishment of the dogs or intestinal blockage if left unchecked.

Heartworm: 

Transmitted by mosquitoes, these parasites thrive in the blood vessels of lungs and heart of your furry pal. Symptoms include, cough, cough with blood, excessive weight loss, exhaustion whilst exercising, etc. If left unchecked, heartworm infestation can prove to be fatal.

Coccidia: 

These single-celled protozoan parasites which are generally transmitted through feces, doesn’t pose any threat to adult dogs but has the capacity to make your pup’s life miserable. If left unchecked it can lead to loss of appetite, weight loss, dehydration and even death.

These are some of the parasites which thrive at the expense of your pooch’s well-being. Protecting and securing the environment where your dog plays, cleaning up your canine regularly, checking its hair routinely for any unwanted companions and regular visits to the vet as a preventive measure helps your furry pal stay clean of such parasites.

It is also of prime importance to not neglect any signs of abnormality in your dog. A symptom is a sign for you to prevent the extreme consequences. Timely intervention and vet visit can help the parasites being detected and thus eliminated at an early stage. Stool examination and examination of anal hairs are some of the tests that the vet will carry out to detect the parasite before prescribing the corresponding medicines and treatments for its elimination.

Thus, the cleaner your little pal’s environment, the longer it enjoys a healthy life.