Worm Parasites Cause Variety of Problems

J^ scarids of dogs, com#^kmonly called "roundThe major means of infection of dogs with T. canis is by worms" and scientifically ingestion (eating) of infective named Toxocara canis, are ascarid eggs or transmission large worms which reach 4 to of infective larvae from a 8 inches in length when mamother dog to her unborn or ture. As egg-laying adults, nursing pups. Ascarid eggs they live in the small inteswhich are passed in the feces tine of young dogs less than 6 of a dog harboring adult months old. worms are not immediately Probably 75 percent of infective to another dog; they pups and young dogs in the require a couple of weeks of United States are infected warm temperature to develop with this parasite which a larval stage in the egg passes eggs in the dog's feces which is infective to any age (excrement). The adult worm dog. is seen only rarely in older If a young dog ingests the dogs because these dogs deinfective egg, the small larva velop resistance to the adult which hatches in the dog's worm. Older dogs, however, stomach will grow to a large can harbor the small larval adult worm which begins to stage of this parasite. produce eggs about 4 weeks after the infective stage was originally ingested. When an older dog, however, ingests an infective egg, Edward L. Roberson is a professor in the Department ofParasithe hatched larval stage does tology, College of Veterinary Mednot grow to an adult worm in icine, University of Georgia, the intestine. Instead, the Athens. larva migrates to the adult