![]() ![]() If dewormers are applied frequently, the newly emerging resistant worms will survive and pass on the mutation that helped them sneak past the drug to their offspring. In situations where there are a lot of dogs infected with a lot of parasites, there are many more opportunities for parasites to develop rare mutations allowing them to survive the dewormer treatments. ![]() The study marks the first demonstration of widespread multiple-drug resistance in a dog parasite reported in the world. But perhaps more alarming, the team saw that the dogs still had high infection levels with hookworms even after they were treated for them. Hookworms can sometimes “hide” in tissues, where they won’t reproduce and shed eggs until the infection worsens and leaks into the dog’s intestines. And the ones that tested negative are probably also infected, said Ray Kaplan, the study’s corresponding author and a former professor of veterinary parasitology at UGA. Four out of every five greyhounds tested came up positive for hookworms. Because of the conditions, all the dogs are dewormed about every three to four weeks.Īfter analyzing fecal samples from former greyhound adoption kennels, veterinary practices that service the adoption groups and an active racing kennel, the researchers found the parasites were highly prevalent in the breed. Dog racetracks are particularly conducive to spreading the parasite due to the sandy ground of the facilities, an ideal breeding ground for hookworms. The researchers focused on current and former racing greyhounds for the study. New research, published recently in the International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, provides deeper insight into where the problem started and how bad it was it’s since become. Researchers from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine first reported this concerning development in 2019. veterinarians rely on three types of drugs to kill hookworms, but the parasites appear to be developing resistance to all of them. Infected pets can experience dramatic weight loss, bloody stool, anemia and lethargy, among other issues.Īccording to new research from the University of Georgia, they’ve become multiple-drug resistant. They use their hooklike mouths to latch onto a pet’s intestines, where they feast on tissue fluids and blood. Hookworms are one of the most common parasites plaguing the companion animal world. For these reasons an additional test, called the antigen test, is recommended as well, and is listed below. Finally, if a pet consumes hookworm eggs from the environment, these eggs will never grow into adult hookworms in that pet, but may still be detected in a fecal sample resulting in a false positive. Second, if a pet only has a few hookworms, or they are only female or only male hookworms, no eggs may be produced even though there are adults causing disease. The first limitation is that hookworms usually take a minimum of 2-3 weeks to mature to adults and produce eggs, so early infections may not be noticed when only looking for hookworm eggs. There are some limitations to looking only for hookworm eggs. There are 3 different methods for checking for eggs, which are detailed below. These eggs are microscopic, and therefore, can only be visualized through a microscope. The traditional way to check for hookworms is to have a veterinary technician look for the presence of hookworm eggs in a fecal sample. They are then secreted in the milk to the puppies during nursing. Once a dog becomes pregnant, these dormant worms may activate and accumulate in the mammary glands. In adult dogs, these worms may live for years in a stage of arrested development. From their Mother: Two key features of hookworms are their ability to migrate to areas outside of the intestines and to lie dormant.If a dog or a cat ingests tissue from this animal, they may become infected with hookworms this way as well. The worms typically do not develop to adults inside of these animals, but may stay dormant. From other Animals: There are some animals that can become infected by hookworms, but are not considered a primary host.If larvae are living in the grass or dirt where pets live and play, they may also enter through the skin and migrate through the body. An animal may ingest the larvae by eating contaminated plant material, or even licking their paws after going for a walk. These larvae enter a new host (dog or cat) by being ingested or penetrating the dog/cat’s skin. These eggs then grow into a particular larval stage. From the Environment: Most adult hookworms live in the small intestines of dogs and cats and shed eggs into the environment through the feces. ![]()
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