March 26, 2012
Posted in Common Pet Conditions, Flea & Tick Preventatives, Pet Meds

No type of worms are good in dogs, but whipworms are particularly nasty. These intestinal parasites tend to affect dogs for long periods of time because their life cycle makes them difficult for vets and owners to detect them.

The way to diagnose most intestinal worms or parasites is to examine the dog's feces and look for them there. But it is difficult to find the eggs of whipworms in dogs' stool most of the time. Other symptoms of these worms is diarrhea that often contains mucus or blood. Veterinarians will often treat dogs for whipworms just based on a history of this kind of diarrhea if they cannot find any other cause for the symptoms.

Like all internal parasites, whipworms drain pets of blood and nutrients, which can cause other issues like anemia, malnutrition and a dull coat. Specifically, whipworms cause blood loss because of the way they damage the intestinal walls of your dog. Your veterinarian will treat this condition with pet drugs like Panacur C. This medicine will need to be given for three days to clear up the infestation. Your vet will also likely make sure you start your dog on a monthly parasite prevention program like Sentinel. This medication also prevents heartworms, adult roundworms and hookworms. It also protects your dog from developing flea eggs. Another good flea preventative medication to try is Revolution. This protects against heartworm disease and kills fleas and flea eggs.

It might help your dog's upset digestive tract to switch to a different type of pet food or take a supplement. Now fresh Grain Free Senior Recipe Dry Dog Food might be a good choice even if your dog is not elderly. That is because it has digestive enzymes to strengthen your dog's digestive and immune systems.

If the parasites disrupted the health of your dog's skin and coat, certain types of pet shampoo might help. Try Oatmeal & Aloe Vera Shampoo to moisturize and soothe the skin. A supplement like Nordic Naturals Pet Cod Liver Oil might also be helpful for restoring the health of the dog's coat.

Whipworms are also one of the more difficult parasites to entirely rid your home and yard of. They are extremely resistant to being eliminated in the home environment of the dog, so you might have to use diluted preparations of bleach in your yard to kill whipworm eggs. 

Related posts:

1. What to know about worms
2. How do worms affect my dog?
3. How worms can affect your pet
4. Cat Revolution: Comprehensive Parasite Protection
5. How can I tell if my dog has heartworm?