Besides vaccinating to prevent contagious diseases, your veterinarian should also check Spot for internal parasites such as intestinal worms and heartworms. Roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworms can be detected though a sample of Spot’s stool, while a blood test is necessary to detect heartworms. No matter how carefully you care for Spot, he can still become infested with all of the worms except heartworm. As a well-kept dog he shouldn’t get heartworm, because preventative medication is available through your veterinarian.
The symptoms of roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are all similar, and include a rough, dry coat, dull eyes, a generally unsound appearance, weakness, weight loss despite an enormous appetite, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes, bloody stools. Few dogs have all of those symptoms and some dogs lose their appetite entirely when infested with worms. Other dogs show no symptoms at all until they become seriously anemic from a heavy infestation.
Don’t be surprised or embarrassed if Spot gets worms. Many puppies are born with roundworms, and dogs can become infested with worms while out for a walk or from biting at a flea. Treatment is effective and safe. Just have your veterinarian check Spot’s stool at least twice a year, and if medication is prescribed, give it exactly as instructed.
Heartworms are a different story. They are transmitted from dog to dog by the bite of a mosquito, and eight months or more may go by from the time a dog is bitten until the worms mature. Heartworms interfere with the action of a dog’s heart, and symptoms of infestation include a chronic cough, weight loss, exhaustion, and eventually, death. Prevention is the only defense, and it should start as soon as you acquire Spot and continue throughout his life. The first step is having your veterinarian test Spot for heartworms. Mature dogs must be free of adult heartworms before taking preventative medication or they can become critically ill. If Spot is unlucky enough to have heartworms, he’ll need immediate treatment. Procedures to rid a dog of heartworm are dangerous (although less dangerous than the deadly worm), but crucial. Once Spot is heartworm-free, prevention will keep him that way.
Caring for Kipper
Gee Weaver, of Kalispell, Montana, gives foster care to dogs as part of her volunteer work with the local humane shelter. She also educates new dog owners on the importance of spaying and neutering. Not everyone listens. This is Gee’s story:
“When my neighbor bought Kipper, a Cocker Spaniel pup, I taught her how to groom and showed her how to teach the puppy some tricks. Kipper had the nicest personality, and eyelashes to match. Her favorite things were her ball, and making us laugh when she howled to the chorus of her favorite song. I really liked Kipper and she really liked me. Her owners gave her lots of attention and she was a very good girl.
Receiving this photo of freshly groomed Kipper made Gee Weaver's day.
“Kipper came into season at seven months old and her owner had her bred. She thought it was an easy way to make money. Kipper was still a puppy herself, and when she started labor she became a wreck. My neighbor called and asked me to come over and handle the delivery. From the time I got there Kipper wouldn’t leave my feet and she didn’t want anything to do with her puppies.
“For three weeks, Kipper had to be forced to feed the puppies. When they started getting around they were a pain for the owner, and Kipper was held accountable for everything they did. During that time, Kipper picked up fleas and an ear infection. Her owner thought fleas were the worst disease in the world, but I helped out and got rid of the flea problem. Kipper wouldn’t let anyone but me treat her painful ears, and eventually they healed too. With everything back to normal, I tried to explain why Kipper should be spayed, but my neighbor decided against it. Eventually they moved about seventeen miles away but we still visited each other occasionally.
“When Kipper was eighteen months old, she had puppies again. This time both ears became badly infected, and because of the ear smell and the pups, she was exiled from the house and became an outside dog. She also got fleas again and hadn’t been groomed in such a long time that her coat was horribly matted. Still, Kipper remembered the good times and greeted me with her ball in her mouth. I felt so sorry for her that I treated her ears. Before I left I told my friends that if they ever wanted to get rid of Kipper, I’d be willing to keep her until I could place her in a loving home. They didn't accept my offer.
“The third time Kipper came in season, my old neighbors called me up and asked if my offer still stood. Kipper came to me with fleas, infected ears, and an infected neck. I had her spayed, shaved, and defleaed, and treated her ears and neck. Three months later, with no fleas, no infections and a healthy coat, I found her a home with an older woman.
“Kipper has been a much-loved house dog for over four years now and I receive a Christmas card with her picture on it every year. In this year’s photo she was freshly groomed and her ball was at her feet. It sure brought back some memories.”
External Parasites
Fleas, ticks, and ear mites are all looking for a free lunch and a cozy condo, compliments of Spot. Deer ticks are especially dangerous as they could carry Lyme disease, while other ticks may carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Don’t attempt to pull attached ticks off your dog by hand. Instead, remove them safely with a preparation recommended by your veterinarian. If you are camping in the woods far from a veterinary clinic and didn’t pack a tick preparation, separate Spot’s hair so you can see where the tick embedded itself in the skin. The embedded part is the tick’s head. Use a tweezers to clamp down as close to the head as possible and pull it out. If you have alcohol with you, drop a bit right on the tick and it will release its hold. If part of the head remains in Spot’s skin, apply an antiseptic.
Ear mites live in the ear canal, irritating Spot’s sensitive ears and producing a dry, rusty-brown to black discharge. The condition is easily treatable when caught early, so if you suspect ear mites, see your veterinarian.
Lice seldom infect dogs, and are easily destroyed with modern preparations. Fleas, on the other hand, are never easy to get rid of. They quickly become resistant, or actually adapt to insecticides. That’s why new flea dips, powders, and sprays appear on the market every year. For tips on how to discover if Spot has these pests, read the article Grooming Your Dog. Have fleas already invaded your home? For an easy way to find out, read Dog Care for All Seasons. Your veterinarian knows which preparations work best in your locale, so if your dog and your home are harboring creepy crawlies, ask for professional help.
