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Worms
Horoscopes
Lungworm
Round worms
Scorpio (23 Oct-21 Nov)
This worm causes serious health problems in dogs and can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. It particularly affects young dogs and there are pockets of the country where the parasite is more prevalent than others.
Round worms are very common and they look a bit like small spaghetti with adults measuring as much as 15 cm in length. Most puppies and kittens are born with some worms as they can get them via their mother’s milk. If they have a lot of worms it can make them poorly with tummy upsets and failure to thrive. Later on in life for protection against these parasites, pets still need to be wormed regularly as they never develop an immunity to them, although they are less likely to be poorly as a result. The simple life cycle means that eggs are passed out in faeces into the environment. Here they can survive for years until they are eaten by an intermediate host such as a mouse. Pets are then infected by eating the eggs direct from the environment or from under-cooked meat. Humans can be infected by ingesting infected eggs from the environment which has been contaminated by dog, cat or fox faeces. These hatch into larvae which can cause serious diseases and even blindness – this is very rare.
As a Scorpio pet, you certainly know how to coax your humans into giving you extra treats, cuddles and, for dogs, adventurous walks. Be sure to maximise these opportunities the best you can, life is for living! Try not to be so possessive with your toys, it’s nice to share. When no one is looking, why not have a little dance? After all, you have the best moves.
Dogs become infected by ingesting slugs, snails or even just their slime.
Sagittarius (22 Nov – 21 Dec)
These larvae pass out in the faeces and are eaten by slugs and snails completing the cycle.
The larvae develop into adults in the dogs heart and arteries.
As a dog who love their travels, where will you scamper off to this season? The stars suggest a holiday is on the cards, so why not get involved in the plans and have a nose through any brochures you find scattered around? A quick wag of the tail and you could easily whip it off the coffee table onto the floor for a good paw through! For cats, be weary of your travel box appearing. As always, it can be great fun giving your two-legged friends a good old game of hide and seek. Keep your eyes peeled for luggage or passports… then it’s time to make your move.
These adults lay eggs which hatch in the lungs and the larvae are coughed and swallowed.
Tapeworms It is really important to treat pets regularly for tapeworms as although even infected cats and dogs can remain free of clinical disease, they act as carriers for the life stages of the worms that can seriously affect animal and human health. The worms mature and live in the pet’s intestine before eggs pass into the environment. Once in the environment they infect an intermediate host such as a sheep, which can then develop life threatening cysts in its organs. This can also happen to humans and is called hydatid disease.
Capricorn (22 Dec – 19 Jan)
As a Capricorn pet, you’re probably used to be extra spoilt around this time of year with new treats and toys. As active dogs, why not make the most of the crisp winter days with a nice run… have you tried Canicross yet? You can read all about the tips in pawing the line in our running blog . For cats, why not pounce into the new year by learning something new? With all those goodies you received during the pawlidays, you could certainly find a way impress your housemates. Go for it!
Join The Healthy Pet Club today and receive monthly flea and worm treatment, annual vaccinations, a 6 month health check and much more here
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