Hookworm infection begins when the worm is in the larval stage. It penetrates the skin and migrates during its life cycle through the liver and the lungs, and it attaches to the mucosa of the small intestine where it matures. Hookworms deplete the body of nutrients, and a major effect is severe chronic iron-deficiency anemia.

Hookworms and whipworms are common types of parasitic worms found in canines or your dogs. Hookworms are small worms, which fasten to the small intestine walls, sucking blood. Dogs get infected with hookworms through contaminated soil. Their eggs hatch and the hookworms grow to adulthood in your dog's intestines. Puppies can get hookworms in the uterus of the mother dog or through her milk. These worms could kill puppies, but not adult dogs. These worms are capable of siphoning massive volumes of blood from your dogs, thus causing serious illnesses.

Hookworms are also placed into the soil by feces (animal or human). People get infected with their eggs by drinking contaminated water or coming into contact with the contaminated soil. Even walking barefoot can cause the larvae to penetrate the skin. Hookworms are most common in the subtropics and are uncommon in the United States. Again a stool sample will need to be done to look for the eggs. Symptoms include a patchy red rash where the larvae entered the skin that itches tremendously.

The symptoms of hookworm disease ordinarily begin with ground itch, an itchy skin irritation caused by the larvae when they penetrate the skin and marked by papules and vesicles that are often located between the toes. In passing through the lungs, the larvae may produce coughing and fever. In the intestine, the mature worm sustains its life by bloodsucking, and persistent feeding by many worms over many years results in secondary anemia.

Roundworms are long, white worms that look like spaghetti, and they are easy to recognize in the cat's stool or vomit. It's probably safe to assume that most kittens will contract roundworms from their mother, but older cats usually become resistant to them. Under normal sanitary conditions these parasites are not such a serious problem as other, faster-developing parasites.

Treatment

Drugs are needed to rid hookworms in puppies. They can be given orally or injected. The drugs are only able to kill the adult hookworms, therefore it is necessary to repeat to treat again in 3-4 weeks. This will insure that the newly formed adult hookworms, that were larvae at the time of the first treatment, are killed.

It is important that you begin preventive treatment for hookworms in puppies as soon as they are 2 weeks old. For the effective removal of hookworms, the treatment has to be repeated after every two weeks until the puppy is two months old. In a high risk environment, the same treatment should be continued at weekly intervals for another month and then at monthly intervals until the dog is six months old. Thereafter, medication for preventing heartworm can be used which is effective for roundworms, hookworms and dog tapeworm as well.