Hookworms are one of the most common problems with the pets, like dogs. This parasite affects their intestine and can cause anemia. In extreme cases may be lethal. They easily pass on to the blood stream of the affected dog without being noticed. |
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The adult hookworm is seen in the small intestinal walls of the dog. It attaches itself to the inner walls of the intestine with the help of number of sharp teeth. They feed by sucking blood from the intestinal walls. There size is approximately 5 to 10 millimeters in length. The adult hookworm lays her eggs inside the intestinal tract of the dog, and these find their way into the environment through the dog's feces. When the conditions are suitable, the eggs hatch and transform into larvae within a day or two. At this stage the larvae are still present in the feces and look like thin and flat very tiny microscopic creatures. These first stage larvae then further develop in the feces or in the soil giving rise to the next stage of infective larvae.
Within a gap of 5 to 10 days the larvae further grow twice in size and become the infective larvae which survive for at least 3 to 4 weeks. These larvae then enter inside the blood stream or the intestine of the host through direct physical contact. The entry of the larvae in the host could be through many ways. Once they reach their host, they further grow to become adult hookworms and thus, the process continues.
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