Why it's Good To Worm Pets

Worming is not just a preventative measure for your pet's wellbeing – it's also a public health service. Parasitic worms present a serious risks to health of both humans and their companion animals, and the spread of infection usually occurs by accident. [1]

Dogs and cats don't always show signs being infected with parasitic worms. Despite their apparent good health, parasites can be causing serious underlying infections that show up later in later. For example (gross alert), lungworms can stop a dog's blood from clotting, leading to unexpected haemorrhages in areas of high blood flow, such as the brain.

That said, general symptoms of worms can have a dramatic presentation in pets. Symptoms might include:

• Weight loss
• Ravenous appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bloated tummy or “pot belly”
• Dry or scruffy fur

Very young and elderly animals are more at risk of life-threatening illnesses associated with parasitic worms – roundworms have been seen to cause intestinal blockages in puppies, and lungworm infections cause brain haemorrhage and death in older dogs. Worms can transmit quickly and easily from animals to humans, and infections often goes undetected until late stages of the disease causes organ damage.

Common worms shared between animals and humans

The four most common worms shared between animals and humans.

Roundworms

The most common intestinal parasite in dogs and cats, roundworms are 7cm – 10cm long. They are passed on to kittens and puppies via their mothers' milk, via contact with an infected rodent, or the faeces of an infected animal.

Larvae of the roundworm can easily infect humans and cause a condition called toxocariasis.

Human symptoms include:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Liver enlargement and tenderness
• Rash
• Pneumonia
• Loss of appetite

Roundworm larvae can travel through the blood stream and infect the eye (usually only one eye). This may cause mild eye irritation at first, but can lead to inflammation and vision loss.

Children are at higher risk of roundworm infection and vision complications than adults. Precaution should be taken to keep children from eating soil, particularly from sandboxes that are attractive “toilets” for cats and dogs. Contact with fresh animal faeces poses less of a risk of infection than older faeces – it takes time for the roundworm eggs to hatch into infective larvae. [2]

Hookworms

Smaller than roundworms, hookworms are about 5cm in length and live in the small intestines where they live on the blood of the animal (or human). Their blood-sucking can lead to anaemia in the host animal, and eventually death. They are passed through faeces – eggs pass through the stool and hatch into larvae. The larvae can develop anywhere, including in the ground where infected stool has been left.

Both humans and animals can contract hookworms when walking barefoot on the ground where larvae are present. Hookworms are more common in dogs than cats.

Human symptoms include:

• Often undetected due to no symptoms
• Itchy, red, raised rash where the hookworm penetrated the skin (usually the feet)
• Fever, coughing and wheezing as larvae move through the lungs
• Pain in upper abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea
• Weight loss
• Anaemia – symptoms include iron deficiency, fatigue, weakness, frequent infections, and pale skin [3]

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are long and flat and can grow from 10cm to 71cm in length. In cats and dogs, symptoms include vomiting, weight loss, and small pieces of the worm that look like grains of rice can often be seen in the fur around the animal's hindquarters. 

Most cats and dogs get tapeworm from directly eating an infected rodent or a piece of meat from a contaminated animal. Birds become infected by ingesting worm eggs in the droppings of other birds, and present with diarrhoea, vomiting and blood in their droppings.

Humans generally contract tapeworm from coming into contact with pet faeces or from eating raw or undercooked meat.

Human symptoms include:

• Often no symptoms until late stages
• Diarrhoea
• Discomfort in the stomach area
• Ribbon-like tapeworm in the stool
• Hives
• Allergic reaction [4]

Cysts on the liver, lungs or brain can cause various symptoms depending on their location: 

• Liver cysts: Abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
• Lung cysts: Chest pain and coughing up blood​ 

Lungworms

Unlike the other worms on this list, lungworms don't live in the intestines of their host. While the name suggests they reside in the lungs, these parasites are actually happiest in the blood vessels closest to the heart. Once hatched from eggs, their larvae force their way through the blood vessels and into the lungs, to be coughed up and passed on to another host. Most cats and dogs don't show any signs of having lungworm but can develop a cough or shortness of breath when larvae are in the lungs, and eventually die from sudden heart attack or haemorrhage. [5] To ensure its own survival, the lungworm releases chemicals that inhibit clotting cascades in the host, resulting in thinner blood and bleeding disorders.

Bad news – if you have pet rats, you are at risk. Good news – human lungworm is rarely caused by the same species of worm that infect dogs and cats. [6]

Human symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Neck stiffness
• Seizures
• Paralysis

 If you are planning on using a non-pharmaceutical worming protocols for yourself and your animal friends, speak to a qualified naturopath, herbalist, holistic vet or integrative doctor first for personalised advice. 

Natural therapies to support worming protocols in humans

NOTE: Never give natural therapies to animals before speaking to a vet for personalised advice. Many natural products that are harmless to humans can hurt or even kill pets!

Probiotics

Good gut bugs called probiotics may help to protect the intestines against worm reinfection after a successful worming protocol [7]. Worm infections disrupt the bacteria in the gut, so the colon will need to be reinoculated with the beneficial microbes after the worms have been removed.  A healthy microbiome is essential for the optimal functioning of the immune system and can strengthen the body's defences against parasitic infection [8].

Probiotics may also help in the treatment and prevention of worms in dogs and cats. Speak to your vet for more information! [9]

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is made of fossilised plankton. It is rich in silica, a beneficial trace mineral, and on a microscopic level it looks like shards of glass. This sharpness isn't detectable to humans or pets – it's totally safe for mammals to eat, but the microscopic silica shards can puncture the bodies of parasites like worms. There are few scientific studies, but animal trials suggest that this white, silica-rich earth powder has potential as a treatment to control parasite infections in birds [10]. In this study, hens that were fed diatomaceous earth had significantly less worm infections.They even laid more and better-quality eggs!

Speak to a qualified holistic veterinarian before giving animals diatomaceous earth and seek personalised advice from a naturopath before you give it to yourself!

Oregano Oil

Oregano oil is a potent anti-parasitic and anti-microbial agent in humans. A trial of 12 patients with parasites showed that 600mg of oregano oil per day for 6 weeks was able to significantly reduce the prevalence of different intestinal parasites including worms [11]. However, its main use in a human worming protocol is in preventing opportunistic bacterial, viral, or other parasitic infections from taking hold after the worms have been removed but the gut is still vulnerable.

Slippery Elm Powder

Intestinal worms cause widespread inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and this inflammation can stick around even after the worms are gone. Infection may also increase the risk of leaky gut. Slippery elm powder creates a protective, soothing mucus layer along the intestines and can help to reduce inflammation, protect against re-infection, feed the good gut bugs, and strengthen the gut barrier. [12]

Garlic

Garlic is a traditional worming remedy that has some evidence behind it. In vitro studies have found that garlic extracts can effectively kill many species of parasitic worms, but clinical studies are limited. [13] Like oregano oil, taking garlic supplements may be an effective preventative therapy against reinfection after a successful worming protocol.

References

1. South Australia Health (n.d.) Worms - including symptoms, treatment and prevention. https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/health+topics/health+conditions+prevention+and+treatment/infectious+diseases/worms/worms+-+including+symptoms+treatment+and+prevention
2. Aaron, D. A. (2017) Tinea Corporis (Body Ringworm). Merck Manual Online Database Professional, https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/dermatologic-disorders/fungal-skin-infections/tinea-corporis
3. Pearson, R. D. (2017) Hookworm Infection (Ancylostomiasis). Merck Manual Online Database Professional, https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/infectious-diseases/nematodes-roundworms/hookworm-infection
4. Pearson, R. D. (2016) Overview of Tapeworm Infections. Merck Manual Online Database Professional. https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/infectious-diseases/cestodes-tapeworms/overview-of-tapeworm-infections
5. Brennan, S. F., et al. (2004) Clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of three dogs with angiostrongylosis in Ireland. Ir Vet J., 57:2, 103 – 109 [CONTENT WARNING: Graphic Images]
6. Ballweber, L. R. (2016) Overview of Lungworm Infection (Verminous bronchitis, Verminous pneumonia). Merck Manual Veterinarian Manual. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/respiratory-system/lungworm-infection/overview-of-lungworm-infection
7. Travers, M. A., et al., (2011) Probiotics for the Control of Parasites: An Overview. J Parasitol Res., 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3182331/
8. Berrilli, F., et al. (2012) Interactions between parasites and microbial communities in the human gut. Front Cell Infect Microbiol., 2, 141. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499702/
9. Coêlho, M. D. G., et al. (2013) Probiotic Therapy: A Promising Strategy for the Control of Canine Hookworm. J Parastiol Res., 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872410/
10. Bennett, D. C., et al. (2011) Effect of diatomaceous earth on parasite load, egg production, and egg quality of free-range organic laying hens. Poult Sci., 90:7, 1416 – 1426. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21673156
11. Force, M., et al. (2000) Inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo. Phytother Res., 14:3, 213 – 214. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10815019
12. Joo, Y. (2014) Natural Product-Derived Drugs for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Intestinal Res., 12:2, 103 – 109. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4204705/
13. Mikaili, P., et al. (2013) Therapeutic Uses and Pharmacological Properties of Garlic, Shallot, and Their Biologically Active Compounds. Iran J Basic Med Sci., 16:10, 1031 – 1048. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874089/