Dogs are susceptible to be parasite central at times. They are the main host for heartworms, a parasite that infects cats and even humans. Fleas and ticks adore them and they are a breeding ground for hookworms it seems. Dogs can easily get hookworms and they aren't as instantly detrimental to your pet's health as other types of parasites, but it is important to spot and treat hookworms as soon as you can or your dog could end up suffering and costing you a great deal of money in vet bills in the long term.

Hookworms are small, worm-like parasites that live inside dogs and feed off of them - just like a heartworm. The fact that hookworms and heartworms are parasites that live inside dogs is just about where the resemblance ends, because they do not look alike and they live in totally different areas of the dog's body. Hookworms get their name from the small hook-like feature on their head that they use to attach to the wall of a dog's intestinal tract - it helps to keep them there. They suck blood from the walls of the intestines and have been known to cause severe anemic problems in young dogs. In most cases hookworms are a puppy problem, but they can develop in adult dogs as well.

Hookworms can be transferred to dogs through a variety of methods. The main causes of hookworms for dogs are through the mother's milk when nursing, through the top layer of their skin, through the mouth and even through the placenta before the puppy has even made it into the world. It is a rather natural thing that many puppies experience and for veterinarians, deworming young dogs is a typical practice and is advisable for all newborn puppies whether they are known to be infected or not. The younger the dog is the more susceptible to hookworm-related anemia they are, so it is important to get them treated as soon as possible.

Anemia is the main problem that puppies experience as a result of hookworm infection. This is because the hookworms lodge themselves on the dog's intestinal walls and suck as much blood as they can, reproduce and suck more blood. If you were losing that much blood, you would be infected too! One female hookworm can lay thousands upon thousands of eggs daily, so the problem of hookworms is practically unimaginable to halt or contain without professional or medical assistance. Sometimes, when a large number of eggs are present it is possible to spot the infection through an inspection of a puppies' excrement, but not all the time.

Fortunately for you and your dog, hookworms are fairly easily treated. Mostly an oral medication is all that is required to cure the problem, but a follow up treatment a few weeks later to kill any remnants that may have hatched. Your veterinarian may even have a dewormer that tastes great, so your dog will lap it up like a treat. This is one of the uncomplicated pet related problems to treat and it is relatively common and if detected early, hookworms can be a thing of the past.