The parasites anchor themselves to the intestinal lining so that they can feed on tissue fluids and blood, injecting an anti-coagulant substance, which can cause continued bleeding after the hookworm has detached from the feeding site. The most significant clinical signs are related to intestinal distress and anemia. What are the clinical signs of hookworm infection? Prenatal and transmammary infections are an important route of infection for puppies. If a pregnant dog had hookworms in the past, the pregnancy may reactivate dormant larvae, which then enter the female's bloodstream and infect the puppies in the uterus or through the mother's milk during nursing. "Prenatal and transmammary infections are an important route of infection for puppies." Part of the life cycle of the hookworm involves migration through muscle tissues, where they may become dormant. Once in the host's body, the larvae migrate to the intestine where they mature and complete their life cycle.
#Feline hookworms in humans skin
The larvae may also burrow into the skin if the dog walks or lies on contaminated ground. A dog may become infected when it inadvertently swallows hookworm larvae, often by grooming its feet, or from sniffing feces or contaminated soil. Larvae hatch from the eggs and can remain infective in the soil for weeks or months. Through the mother's placenta before birth (in utero)įemale hookworms pass hundreds of microscopic eggs in the feces of infected dogs, where they contaminate the environment.How do dogs get hookworms?ĭogs may become infected with hookworms by one or all of four routes: Conditions of overcrowding and poor sanitation contribute to infection. Hookworms are more common in warm, moist environments. Are some dogs more likely to get hookworms? This problem is most common in puppies, but can occur in adult dogs. A large number of hookworms can cause life-threatening anemia. Despite their small size, they ingest large amounts of blood from the tiny vessels in the intestinal wall. They are only about 1/8" (3 mm) long and so small that it is very difficult to see them with the naked eye. Hookworms ( Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma braziliense) are intestinal parasites of the cat and dog that get their name from the hook-like mouthparts they use to anchor themselves to the lining of the intestinal wall.