Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday - 7 AM -7 PM
Friday -  7 AM - 6 PM
Saturday - 8 AM - 12 PM
*Sunday - 5:30 PM-6:30 PM
* (boarder pick-up only)
 

Hookworms and Roundworms

Roundworms and hookworms are common intestinal parasites of dogs and cats.  Not only can roundworms and hookworms cause disease in pets, they are also well-known to cause problems from the migrating microscopic parasite larvae in humans, especially children. While roundworms and hookworms are most commonly diagnosed in puppies and kittens, infections can occur in dogs and cats of all ages.  Because of the occurrence of transmission of roundworms through the placenta and mammary transmission of puppies are usually born with or acquire roundworms early in life.   Kittens do not become infected in the uterus, but like puppies, can acquire roundworms through their mother’s milk.  The tissue-migrating and early intestinal stages of these worms may cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, disease in the first few weeks of life.  Patent intestinal infections can develop within the first 2½ - 3 weeks of life.  Left untreated, this can lead to widespread contamination of the environment with infective eggs.

Both puppies and kittens acquire hookworm infections through ingestion of or skin penetration by infective larvae, or from infective larvae passed in their mother’s milk. Hookworms suck large amounts of blood from their hosts and while infected animals may look healthy in the first week of life, they can develop a rapidly severe, often fatal, anemia.  Intestinal infections can occur as early as 2- (dogs) to 3- (cats) weeks of age, leading to environmental contamination with infective larvae.

The prevalence of these infections varies with climatic conditions; however, they are present in all parts of the United States and must be viewed as a potential public health hazard.

Augusta/Valley Animal Hospital
310 Betsy Bell Rd.
Staunton, VA  24401

540-851-1500 | 540-851-1501 (fax)