What are worms and how do they cause trouble?
Both dogs and cats can suffer with worms. These worms are parasites which usually live in the intestine and may cause disease, or may produce no ill effects. It is important to keep pets as free of worms as possible for two reasons: 1. To keep them healthy 2. To minimise risk to people and particularly children, who may (rarely) become infected with the larval form of Toxocara canis from environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs (eg in parks and gardens). What are the different types of worms? There are two main groups – the roundworms and tapeworms. Roundworms are more common in dogs, and this group includes Toxocara canis as well as other less common worms. They lay eggs which are passed directly from dog to dog via the faeces. All puppies are born with roundworm infestation from their mother, and treatment must kill both adult worms in the intestine and the larval worms which migrate around the body. The eggs cannot be seen in the dog’s motions, so it is difficult to tell if a
