Deworming Your Pets: A Comprehensive Guide
Your pet is like a member of your life. This can be the best explanation regarding the importance of your pet in your life. Pets happen to be great companions in times of distress, loneliness, happiness, and other mood swings. Their presence itself is a great sign of positivity and hope. In short, your life and home become heavenly with sweet and beautiful pets around you. However, these happy moments last as long as your pet stays healthy and active. A healthy pet is an active pet that intakes the right ingredients, plays a lot, sleeps well, and garnishes the right amount of energy.
Though pets eat the food you provide them that is specially packaged for them considering their age, nature, and family tree, the presence of worms is always a growing threat. This being a fact, you cannot control or limit the amount of worms nearby since they are ever-present. But one thing you can do is to opt for deworming. Deworming is the science of keeping your pet free from worms now and then. And you can easily do this by following basic precautionary measures and habits.
Pet Parasite Worms
To begin with, let us follow what pet worms are. Worms are parasites that attack a pet. Parasites happen to live in the intestines of pets. Their sole method of staying active and surviving is through pets’ blood and nutrients. Parasites are of different types with the ones being mostly found in pets are roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. We’ll explain each worm type later in this read. But the main question that first arises in the mind is how these worms get into the inside of a pet’s body such as its intestines. The answer is simple. Worms enter the pet’s body through contact with contaminated environments and when infected fleas are ingested by them. Deworming is highly critical alongside other preventive measures since some parasites or worms are not as simple as they look. Some worms pose zoonotic risks, meaning they can infect humans who interact with pets’ that are further infected by worms.
Types of Pet Worms
Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms largely affect pets. These worms get into the intestines of pets through contaminated environments and flea ingestion. Let us find out what each worm type is in depth.Roundworms
Roundworms are long worms that have a spaghetti-like shape. They can grow several inches long and cause severe problems to pets such as diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. Their attack is not limited to pets only. When interacting with humans, they can cause eye and organ damage.
Hookworms
Hookworms are small in comparison to tapeworms and roundworms and thin, growing up to half an inch in length. Pets possess the danger of bloody diarrhea, weight loss, and skin lesions. In essence, their effect on humans includes intestinal bleeding and skin rashes.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are flat and segmented worms that grow up to several feet long. These worms cause itching around the anus of pets alongside causing weight loss and the development of rice-like segments on your pet’s face. For humans, tapeworms pose the threat of cysts and abdominal pain.
Symptoms of Worms
Now that you know of pet worms, their types, and where and how they enter your pets’ bodies, often pet owners do not come to realize that their pets need to be dewormed. It is since they have little or zero knowledge regarding symptoms that worms have been growing and infecting your pet from the inside. Here is a list of all the symptoms that pose a visible threat to worms in your pets.- Your pet’s normal digestion is affected. A clear sign of this is vomiting and diarrhea which your pet gets to show. This is often the first and most clear sign of worms developing in your pet.
- You may find out that your pet does possess a good appetite for food. However, you can also come to know that your pet is showing considerable weight loss. Weight loss in such conditions is the second most common sign of pet worms.
- When there is poor nutrition absorption, there are signs of lackluster coat on your pet. Without good absorption of nutrients, your pet will not depict their true behavior and traits.
- Pot-belly is a common term given to humans having a belly gotten out of the natural posture. This is also a visible case with pets that happen to be affected by worms.
- Discomfort around the anus is also a clear sign of pet worms such as tapeworms. Your pet will show extreme signs of discomfort such as itching and persistent scooting around the anus.
- Pet stools often provide an easy way to depict what the problem is with them. And if a pet stool shows grain-like segments, this is one of the clear signs of pet worms.
- Any pet you possess, their energy levels are always high when healthy. Often, weakness or lethargy depict signs of weakness in your pet that may be a result of pet worms affecting them.
- Respiratory problems do come up when worms attack the intestines of pets. Pets often show this through coughing and labored breathing. When you find this out, never leave them unattended as this poses a danger of worms severely damaging their respiratory systems.
What if You Ignore Pets’ Deworming?
Deworming is essential for pets since it keeps them away from health troubles caused by worms. Worms do not cause health problems in an instant but gradually. Commonly, worms or parasites attack the intestines of pets and trouble them through various ways such as consuming the nutrients causing the pets to not utilize the nutrients’ intake ideally, causing malnutrition in them. Furthermore, anemia is common that can arise if deworming is not performed at the proper time. It results from blood loss and is a common work of hookworms.Diarrhea is one of the most common and severe health problems caused by worms. What worms do through diarrhea is that they result in dehydration which eventually opens the doors for many other health problems in pets. Since parasites first reside and attack from the intestines, a common problem with intestines is their swelling and inflammation which further leads to several gastrointestinal issues.
When you hear the causes of pet worms inside the body, you come to know the true importance of deworming. Another alarming factor associated with pet worms is that they do not remain limited to pets only. In contrast, pet worms may attack humans who interact with pets suffering from pet worms. For humans, there are another set of complications, health risks, and problems. Some of the common infections that may occur in humans include rashes, eye and organ damage, intestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, etc.
Home Remedies of Deworming Your Pets
Deworming is the process of protecting your pets from the attack of worms. Generally, home remedies are always preferred since they offer an organized and healthy way of treating any issue about pets. Though other methods do exist, home remedies are always preferred in the case of pet deworming.Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacin which is a compound ideal for paralyzing and eliminating worms from your pets’ bodies. To make use of pumpkin seeds, add them to your pet’s food unsalted.Garlic
Garlic is an anti-parasitic agent that is ideal for dealing with worms in your pet’s body. In essence, there is a useful method to use garlic as an antiparasitic agent. Cut 1/4 to 1 clove of garlic and let it rest for a few minutes, preferably 15, and add it to your pet’s food or water. However, remember that more garlic intake can trouble your pet’s stomach hence consult a vet before using garlic.Carrots
Carrots are another great fruit rich in nutrients that help in fighting pet worms. A carrot contains fiber and beta-carotene that helps to eliminate and move out worms from pets’ bodies. Simply grate carrots roughly and add them to your pet’s food for them to intake. You may give them these carrots as treats as well.Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a superb killer of pet worms being an acidifier and detoxifier. It is ideal for maintaining the pH level of your pet. Add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of organic, raw, and unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a pet’s food.
Benefits of Deworming Pets Naturally
You can opt for conventional deworming methods such as using medications or select natural methods. With conventional methods such as using medications, you can get rid of pet worms but many side effects do arise alongside helping in deworming. For example, there can be some adverse reactions that such medications cause such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Also, over time, some worms do gain resistance to certain types of deworming medications which is another trouble for pets considering you will provide them with medications and there will be no benefits on the front. In essence, not every medication is a proven or authorized entity. Many medications contain chemicals and artificial additives that strengthen the parasites rather than remove them. The other methodology of deworming is through natural means. Natural dewormers are made of natural ingredients that do not pose any threat of harm and allergies. In essence, natural ingredients constitute dewormers that effectively improve the intestinal health of your pets, especially furry pets. This, as a result, improves their metabolism, digestion, and immune system. Often, getting medication-based dewormers requires you to visit a vet and use a prescription to get them. In the case of a natural dewormer, you do not need any kind of prescription or veterinary consultation. Natural dewormers are easy to produce and convenient to use. You can simply add them to your pet’s food or mouth for intake and bore results.Conclusion
Having a pet is one thing and keeping them healthy is another. A pet’s health is your responsibility that you must administer with perfect sincerity. It is true that pets wander and live in various places that you give them access to. But some places do contain contamination that your pet may interact with and get pet worms entering into them. Once pet worms enter the body of pets, they cause different health problems for them such as metabolism and absorption problems, digestion issues, diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and many other issues. To combat this, deworming is the utmost necessity and one must consider this essential for their pets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are dewormers?
Dewormers are products that are given to pets to kill pet worms inside their bodies, preferably near the intestines. Dewormers can be natural and medication-based.
What are some of the pet worm types?
There are generally three common types of pet worms widely present and found in a pet’s body that is infected with pet worms. These three types of pet worms are:
- Tapeworms
- Hookworms
- Roundworms
What types of pet worms affect humans alongside pets?
Almost all pet worms affect humans and pets alike. However, pet worms attack humans when humans interact with pets affected by pet worms.
Which type of dewormers are ideal?
Natural dewormers are always preferred over medication-based dewormers since natural dewormers are safe for use being produced from natural ingredients. Artificial dewormers may possess risks alongside benefits.
What are some of the natural dewormers?
Some of the widely used natural dewormers are:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Carrots