By: Peter Demmon
Roundworms (Toxocara canis) are an extremely common form of parasite that dogs and their owners have to deal with. Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite that affect puppies. Roundworms can infect your dog in several ways, they affect newborn dogs, are determined by common symptoms, and are a rather frequent dog parasite. Roundworms are the very reason why a regular deworming regimen should be a part of your dog's life.
The most simple form or roundworm infection is when your dog ingests roundworm-infected feces.The shorthand definition of a roundworm infection is that the eggs hatch in the stomach and go to the liver, then the larvae work towards the lungs by moving through the blood. Once the larvae arrive at the lungs, they are coughed up and swallowed into the the stomach and ultimately deposited in the small intestine.
There are however, several different ways that a dog can become a host to this parasite. For example, roundworm eggs can exist in the soil for years, so, a dog cleaning his contaminated paws can pull roundworm eggs into his system that way. Additionally, a dog may be dewormed, but that only takes care of the roundworms in the intestines. The roundworm larvae also burrow into parts of the dog (like the liver) and then go to dormant (encyst) for years. A deworming won't kill these larvae. Some pet owners believe that dogs should be dewormed twice a year. While researching this article, I even talked to a dog owner who deworms his dogs every month. The rationale behind this type of vigilance is because of the dormancy issue. Another aspect of the dormancy issue is if a dog eats a rodent carrying roundworm larvae. Roundworm larvae encyst and go dormant in "transport hosts" like rodents, waiting for the chance that their intermediate host might be consumed by a dog so they can awaken and continue their life cycle.
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