Of all the intestinal worms infesting dogs, hookworms are the ones I fear the most. They latch themselves on to the gut wall and suck the dog’s blood. Even when they are killed, the lesions that they have made on the wall of the intestine represents an ideal place for bacterial settlement and proliferation.
Consequently, we see symptoms of a bacterial invasion which may even cloud the true nature of the disease. You might decide to treat the animal for a bacterial infection while the animal should, in fact, be treated for worms. This is another reason you should not use antibiotics without professional guidance.
As is so often the case in nature, the smaller the organism the more lethal it is. Look at viruses, bacteria nad mosquitoes. Well, the hookworm is in this category. It is no bigger than half an inch. They are thin and thread-like. But they multiply and are aggressive, and they suck blood.
Similar to the roundworm, the hookworm reaches the canine host via contaminated soil and/or stool. The life-cycle is also similar to that of the roundworm which I described last week. Also, the young foetus – still in its mother’s womb – can contract a hookworm infestation. Suckling puppies can contract hookworm from the milk of their mother. And because puppies (like all newborns) are fragile, as soon as the hookworm gets into their bodies they sicken and die quickly. Usually, we see the symptoms in puppies between two weeks and two months of age.
Symptoms
1. Because the hookworms suck the host’s blood, the puppies (and even adult dogs) with a heavy infestation) are anaemic.
2. There is often a bloody diarrhoea; this of course, is another reason why the animal is anaemic.
3. The colour of the bloody stool is dark (like red wine – what a parallel), even black like tar.
4. Again, because of the loss of blood, the animals are lethargic and they progressively lose weight.
I should mention two things in passing:
(1) Puppies (and adult dogs) which recover may indeed become carriers of the disease because, imbedded in their tissues are cysts with immature stages of the hookworm. They just lie dormantly there. As soon as the animal is in a crisis condition (eg malnutrition), they erupt into action.
(2) There is a human condition caused by a type of hookworm that attacks the legs. This disease is known as Creeping Eruption and is caused by the larval form (of the hookworm) which is picked up from the soil when the larvae penetrates the skin and starts to
migrate under the skin leaving visual trails and bumps. The itching drives the human crazy.
Treatment
Most manufacturers of broad-spectrum dewormers claim that their products are effective against hookworm. This may be true to a lesser or greater degree. This means that you could use any of these dewormers and follow the manufacturer’s dosage rate.
If you notice that your pet is still showing symptoms, then we may have to use a very specific dewormer that kills only hookworm. This is an injectable and only your veterinarian will have this product that is not sold over the counter. Of course, if your pet has been debilitated by the hookworm burden, that pet may need a very intensive veterinary management regime.
Next week, we will deal with tapeworms.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA Clinic and Shelter instead. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
