We have canine reporter Murphy (assisted by Ann Winter) offering a paws eye view on the subject of mini monsters aka worms !
Greetings (Woof Woof) dear furry cousins and pet parents. I have been asked to share some experiences with you further to an interesting delivery arriving at my home. As usual, accompanied by my Mum – Bubbles, we did our best to see off the ‘man in red’, but strangely the door was opened to him and a package accepted. What I learned next made my toes curl and my tail droop!
This package contained an assortment of plastic pots, lids, tiny spoons and oh my god – rubber gloves. At this point I thought it best to make a hasty retreat but as always ‘Mum’ ( Bubbles ) was convinced that there must be something edible in the box and so I watched carefully to see what happened next.
Our ‘ hu mum’ sat intently reading some paperwork that accompanied the items before wrapping it all back up and putting it out of our reach. The leaflet floated down to the floor, however, landing under my nose and this is what I learned: It said worms can become a big problems to our pets (I think that is the word that describes us, your furry kids) often with no discernible symptoms and that a ‘burden’ can form in our intestines or lungs. Whilst there are a variety of parasites, the two most common examples are roundworms in puppies which proliferate in the intestines; upon reading this I was horrified to think a mother would give such a thing to her children, and I needed some reassurance this did not happen to me – PHEW - and lung-worm which can cause coughing, breathing difficulties and can stop blood clotting.
Symptoms can be varied from being ravenous, weight loss, upset stomachs, pot bellied appearance, (no definitely not me!) coughing, vomiting, lethargy and loss of condition. Scooting is not always a sign of worms - I have a cousin that occasionally does this – UGH. If all that is not bad enough common dog worms can be passed to humans and whilst adults can generally cope, for the noisy little people there can be more serious consequences. So now I know why my ‘hu mum’ is always keeping an eye on me when I am trying to have some ‘private time ‘ – poop scooping helps to reduce these risks as worm eggs can live many years and only become dangerous once they have incubated. The risks to us by these nasty critters is related to our individual circumstances /habits (if you know what I mean) climate and to different parts of the country. Yes, worms are most certainly gross and potentially harmful and in addition to roundworms and lung-worms there are hookworms, whip-worms, heart-worms, tapeworms and ringworms – what a nightmare! Fortunately it is not all bad news as a healthy diet builds a strong immune system – 80% of the immune system is in the gut. Now when it comes to food I know what I don’t like but I appreciate not everyone is so discerning for instance when I witness my Mum tucking into something that makes my nose wrinkle.
But I digress. Apparently, kibble-fed dogs are potentially more susceptible because parasites love the starch and sugar in kibble. However, fermented foods (e.g. fermented vegetables such as carrots (recipes available online – I know I would not care for this!)) have probiotic properties and can help prevent and eliminate worms. Other good foods to consider are milk kefir (which I have tried and found quite tasty), pumpkin seeds, grated carrots, watercress, greens, squash, fennel, cucumber, pineapple, papaya, pomegranate, garlic (safe in moderation), apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, parsley and bone broth. Apart from products prescribed by vets, there are holistic and herbal options available as well. So, the good news is, whilst we cannot be complacent, we can win the war on worms.
Oh, and as for those little kits, they were filled and sent away, collected by the ‘man in red’ to be analysed, and the verdict in response gave us the all clear!
