Existence of Roundworms is one of the most common diseases not only in pets but also amongst human beings. This is more particularly observed in developing countries which typically face problem of proper sanitation.
Proper knowledge of how the round worms get transmitted as well as some precautions to avoid their spread can help to avoid suffering from this painful disease.
Pets are easiest prey for round worms because of the natural surroundings in which they are brought up. Cleanliness and hygiene of pets is very important to ensure that not only they suffer from it but also don’t spread to their masters.
Animal droppings are most common breeding ground for round worms. Hence pets like dogs, etc which have a habit of feeding on animal feces tend to contract this disease very fast. Apart from this, round worms also spread when an animal eats another which has this disease. This disease also spreads through coughing. A typical round worm grows up to 30 cm in human beings and about 10 cm in animals.
According to one study, there is a 4 out of 10 chance of every pet being infested with round worms at least once in their life. Hence it is important to take necessary precautions right at the beginning which would help avoid this dreaded disease. Some of the common precautions are:
- Hygiene of pet to be maintained
- Ensuring the place where the pet stays is cleaned periodically and also undergoes pest treatment once in a while
There are other ways of identifying early stages of round worms so that early medication can be started. Some of these are:
- Diarrhea, dehydration and weight loss
- Poor growth of the pet and losing appetite
- Presence of worms in pet’s feces
Once the pet has been identified to be infested with the disease, its important to take early measures for treatment. Some common treatments are:
- Round worms spread fast from parent pets to their babies. Hence one way to avoid spreading this is to vet the parent pet during their pregnancies so that it does not pass on
- Rats are the most common medium through which round worms pass on. It is important to keep the place where the pets stay to be away from rats. This would help reduce the chances of these parasites spreading fast
- Don’t take your pets for a walk to places where other animals might have defecated. This is most common cause in developing countries where lack of sanitation facilities causes human beings also to defecate in the open
- There are many kinds of oral medication available for treatment of round worms. Information on such treatment should be kept handy
While round worms are just one other form of disease that a pet can go through, it is also the easiest disease to be avoided if necessary care and precaution are taken. Special care should be taken for puppies and kittens.