Roundworms, Knowing and Preventing

Roundworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites to infect our four-legged friends. They develop from eggs into larvae and later into mature adult worms. And they live and grow inside the intestine of your pet!
Some pets have no symptoms of roundworms, but some do. Signs may include diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, severe weight loss, and a distended belly. Extreme infestations in puppies and kittens can be fatal.
Dogs and cats can get roundworms at any age, but they are at a greater risk when they are very young. Pets born to mothers who have had roundworms at any time in the past can transmit them to baby. This can happen even if the mother tests negative for roundworm because roundworm larvae encyst in the mother’s muscle tissue and are not detected by tests for adult worms. Roundworms can also infect puppies and kittens via nursing. Roundworm larvae may be present in the mother’s mammary glands throughout the nursing period.
Ingesting roundworm eggs containing infective larvae infects our adult pets. The larvae hatch out in the pet's stomach and small intestine and travel through the muscle, liver, and lungs. The larvae then return back to the intestine to mature. When these worms begin to reproduce, new eggs will pass in the pet's stool.
Roundworms are contagious to people. Humans get roundworms through infected stool. Usually this is through contaminated soil, sand or plant life. Roundworms can produce a condition known as visceral larva migrans. The larvae may cause damage to tissue and nerves or even lodge in the eye causing permanent nerve or eye damage and sometimes blindness.
You can take steps to prevent roundworms from infecting your pet!
1. Have pups and kittens dewormed by the vet at an early age.
2. Stay on preventive drug programs that treat and control roundworms.
3. Keep play areas, lawns, and gardens around your home free of animal waste.
4. Have a fecal test performed on your pet annually.