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What You Need To Know About Roundworm and Gun Dogs

March 7, 2009

Heartworm, or roundworm, is very serious can affect all types of hunting dogs. With gun dogs, working dogs, and other outdoor dogs, you must be especially concerned because they are more susceptible to heartworm. The worse case scenario is that an affected dog can pass it on to humans, as well as other dogs. In turn, you can also pass on heartworm to your own dog.

Prevention of heartworm is crucial, especially when you consider that once your dog is infected with this parasite it made lead to death. Of greater concern is other in animals that come in contact with your dog such as coyotes, fox’s, and others may have roundworm and may transmit that disease to your dog.

Preventing Roundworm/Heartworm

Giving your dog a tablet, food additive, or other preventive will greatly reduce his chances of getting infected. Tablets can be taken orally as a doggy treat while food additives are sprinkled, poured, or mixed in with food. Most preventive treatments require a monthly application, so mark a calendar to keep track of when dosage was given so you’ll know when to do it next.

If you live in an area where you have all four seasons, you should know that the number one carrier of heartworm are mosquitoes by means of passing on infected blood to another area when they sting their target. Where there are more moderate climactic change, roundworm is usually spread from one animal to another. No matter which scenario suits you, preventative measures should be taken each and every month, regardless of weather.

Symptoms of Roundworm

Unfortunately roundworm infection is not necessarily easy to identify. It may be a few months after being infected with roundworm that your dog shows any symptoms at all. While this is the period of time that roundworm is most easily treated, it is often the time when they are noticed the least.

A dog affected with heartworm will usually cough, and energy and weight loss are other common symptoms. The sick dog will appear to be weak and disinterested in activities and playtime. If you see these signs, take your dog to the veterinarian immediately as this can be roundworm or another serious illness.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Roundworm

Blood tests are needed to confirm a roundworm diagnosis. It is an easy test and most vets are able to administer a blood test right in the office. Once confirmed, the vet will have to find out what stage of the illness your dog is affected with, determine whether or not the infestation is male or female, and make a final decision on the best course of treatment.

Roundworm treatment is extensive and may be very expensive to treat. Aside from that the treatment is very difficult for your dog and in fact may result in his needing dialysis. Almost all dogs will be listless, suffer weight loss, and has other symptoms while the Worms are discharged. Follow-up treatments will be necessary to ensure that all of the Worms are eliminate it from your dog system.

If left untreated, roundworm infection can lead to organ damage and treatment for a lifetime. Detecting symptoms as soon as possible is very important and treatment must start right away.

When you have any sort of hunting dog, you should always keep in mind that you should always keep your dog’s health as top priority. There are also lots of different hunting dog supplies that you should have on hand for your dog such as electronic dog collars or dog collars.

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