There were times when it was believed that the only way worms in dogs passed on to puppies, was through the mother’s system while they were still in the uterus. Whereas this contention still holds good for some types of worms, it has now been established that worms can infest puppies through other means also.

Worms like dog tapeworm, and dog roundworms and even some feline parasites have a typical lifecycle and can enter a pet’s body through various means.

Worms are intestinal parasites that reside mostly in the small intestines. Worms like tapeworms and roundworms are extremely migratory within a dog’s body and they are expelled and ingested during different stages of their lifecycle. Infestation can be through ingestion of larvae or eggs of worms or through ingestion of infected intermediate hosts like rodents and mice. Worms are passed through feces and puppies ingest worms directly from the environment as well. Sometimes the infection can be passed on by contact with the coat of the infected mother.

Out of the numerous intestinal parasites, roundworms and tapeworms are the most common feline parasites that infest cats. The connection between these two intestinal parasites ends here. Roundworms are round and slimy creatures whereas tapeworms are flat and segmented.

Both the worms shed eggs that are passed out in the feces of the cat. But roundworms and tapeworms look different. Roundworm eggs excreted in feces are microscopic, whereas tapeworm eggs are released as packets from the end segments that detach from the worm. These segments can be seen in the cat’s feces or clinging to the hair near the anus of the cat.

Roundworms

The two common species of roundworms found in cats are:

* Toxocara cati
* Toxascaris leonina

Eggs from both the species are generally eaten by a cat when they are still in their non-infectious stage. They may also be ingested by an intermediate host, say, a mouse or a rat.

Toxocara cati differs from the other roundworm in one feature. It has the capacity to remain dormant in female cats. A queen may harbor larvae from previous infections that remain encysted in various tissues in the body. At the time of pregnancy these larvae migrate to the mammary glands. Larvae transmit through milk too. That the litter of an infected mother will be infected as well is a foregone conclusion.

Macaws are very good eaters, and are seldom picky about the foods that they eat. With that said, however, while your Macaw may enjoy many foods, there are some foods that are not suitable for your Macaw. Some are even quite deadly – but he doesn’t know that, and he will eat them anyway if they are made available.

The first food that you should always avoid is Avocado. Avocado is considered to be toxic for all birds, as it causes considerable, irreparable liver damage. Don’t just avoid feeding your Macaw Avocado fruit. Avoid giving him access to the trees, to the branches, and to the leaves as well.

Your Macaw will enjoy all other fruits. However, fruits that have pits should have the pits removed first, and fruits that have seeds should have the seeds removed. All fruits should be washed well – and even scrubbed, and then cut into small pieces for your Macaw to enjoy at his leisure. If possible, always choose organic fruits.

The similarity in overall behavioral patterns between dogs and human beings has earned them the exceptional sobriquet “man’s best friend.” The loyalty and devotion of pet dogs resembles the human idea of love and affection to such a great extent that dog owners view their pets as family members.

Like any other family member, dogs too get sick and contract diseases and deserve as much of your attention and care, as does any other family member.

Dogs are vulnerable to the same illnesses as human beings including diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis as well as some dog and animal specific diseases. Some of the common diseases that you can come across in your pet dog are those of presence of parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites, common ailments like coat condition, diarrhea, and allergies. Some dog specific diseases that may surface include anal gland infections as well.

Hookworms are considered to be the most pathogenic of all canine and feline parasites including roundworms and dog tapeworm.

Hookworms are excessively greedy blood suckers and cause extensive loss of blood. They ‘hook’ on to the walls of the intestines and draw out blood and ingest it directly. Some can bite and cause lacerations which result in blood leaking. To add to the miseries, the esophageal glands of the hookworm secrete an enzyme that inhibits blood coagulation.

Hookworms can penetrate skin and infect humans as well. Barefoot humans and children who play in areas where dogs defecate are at a high risk of infection. A study of the lifecycle of hookworms can go along way in achieving the goal of treating hookworm infection and eradication of hookworms from the environment.

Depending upon the species, an adult hookworm can lay up to thirty thousand eggs in a day. A moist loamy soil and warm temperatures are most conducive to hookworm survival. But these hardy parasites have been known to survive in tougher climatic conditions also. Unlike other worms in dogs hookworms develop in feces only when the feces are broken up naturally by earthworms or rain. Larvae in their infective stage move out from the feces and wait in the soil or vegetation for a host to pass by.

Being aware of the possibility of worms in dogs is an essential part of owning a dog. You need to be aware of the symptoms of worm infestation right from the day you bring a dog into your home.

Tapeworms are one of the intestinal parasites that require keen observation for diagnosis. For dog owners to know whether their pet is infested with tapeworms it is important for them to know about their appearance, lifecycle and symptoms.

APPEARANCE

Dog tapeworm gets its name from the tape-like appearance that it has. A tapeworm is flat and has segments. It has a head and a neck and the remaining part of the tapeworm is broken into segments. The tapeworm uses muscular grooves present in the head to attach itself to the intestines of the host. New segments are continually formed in the neck region. The ones at the end mature and are shed periodically.

Each segment has its own reproductive organs and contains a large number of eggs that are grouped in packets. Once mature, these segments are detached from the main body and are excreted. Mobile segments can be seen near the anus of the dog or on top of fresh feces. Once the tapeworm segments dry up they look like uncooked rice or cucumber seeds.

Although an uncommon occurrence, ear polyps can severely damage the ear drum of your cat if they are not treated in time. Ear polyps are neither breed nor sex specific but they usually occur in cats between the ages of 1 to 4 years. Ear polyps in cats produce symptoms that are almost similar to those caused by parasites like cat ear mites or other ear infections.

In addition to the normal symptoms associated with the ear mites infection like scratching and pain on palpating the ear, some of the symptoms specific to or indicative of ear polyps include:

* Inability to walk in a straight line.
* A tilted head.
* Droopy eyelid/s.
* Partial covering of the eye by the third eyelid.

Ear polyps are usually located in the horizontal passage of the ear canal and difficult to see without an otoscope, a medical instrument with a magnifying glass and light used for examining the tympanic membrane. The veterinarian might need to sedate your cat for the examination.

A polyp is actually a small vascular growth on the surface of a mucous membrane that appears almost similar to a squamous cell tumor. The first step in diagnosis is to get a biopsy of the polyp and remove doubts regarding a cancerous growth.

One of the major concerns about potty training a puppy to use the bathroom outside in the busy city is the possible spread of disease. Deadly distemper and parvo disease, as well as parasites, can be transferred via infected canine feces and bodily fluids.

A puppy’s immature immune system leaves him open to all kinds of disease until they’ve had their third set of vaccinations (which is typically between the ages of 16 and 20 weeks).

Therefore, some veterinarians recommend clients keep their pups in a virtual quarantine for the first 16 weeks of their lives. But your urban puppy might need to venture outdoors to potty.

Luckily, more and more vets are recognizing that puppies must be socialized during their critical developmental period from 12 to 16 weeks of age and are discussing housetraining options with their clients.

If your vet says it’s alright to go out during the critical period, choose the places to take your pup carefully. Avoid areas where lots of dogs congregate or eliminate, such as dog parks, fire hydrants and street trees.

Hookworm is a parasite that lives in the small intestines of mammals. It is also the most common of the intestinal parasites that infest dogs. There are different types of hookworms that can infest dogs and cats.

* A.caninum can infect a dog.
* Uncinaria stenocephala can infect both dogs and cats.
* A.braziliense and A. tubaeforme species of the hookworm infect only cats.

Hookworms are smaller than other intestinal parasites like dog tapeworms and roundworms. Their affect on the host’s body is also different from other parasitical worms. Worms in dogs are usually excreted and are visible in stools but hookworms are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. In most cases even a microscopic examination is unable to reveal their presence.

Hookworms are also different from other worms in the manner in which they cause diseases. The other kinds of worms mechanically obstruct the intestinal passage and migrate through tissues but hookworms cling to the intestinal walls and suck the host’s blood.

Dogs can get infested with hookworms in many ways. Hookworms lay eggs in the intestines of an infested animal. These are then excreted through stools. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae can migrate through water and vegetation and enter a dog’s body through various routes.

There are responsibilities involved in taking care of an animal, as there are diseases that can affect animals and horses. There are many causes like food habits or parasites, and the main thing is quick and timely treatment for its recovery.

Colic is a condition that cannot be ignored. Horses are known to die of this if left untreated. The symptoms can easily be noticed and horse owners should be aware of the signs to look out for.

Symptoms Of Colic In Horses

The horse may feel jumpy and act in a crazy manner – you will need to remain with the animal for a while to make sure that it is suffering.

There are other horses that may stand up or lie flat on the ground and kick its stomach. This is the same reaction that humans adopt when confronted with pain. It would be wise to remove the horse to another area so that it does not do damage to itself or the stable.

The horse usually sleeps lying flat on the ground, so since this is normal, it may not mean anything, but if there is a change since last seen, there could be a reason and should be looked into.