Roundworms

This article focuses on how to get rid of roundworm in pets, not so much in people. I also mention avoiding developing countries if you want to avoid an infection, something that to some people might consider xenophobic. But I gotta tell you, if you see some of the pictures and read some of the stories by doctors who’ve spent time in developing areas where human feces contaminates the water supply and roundworm infections run rampant, you’ll know why I offer this advice.

For pet owners, there are some things you need to know about getting rid of roundworm that a lot of people, like myself, didn’t or don’t know. Want to know how to get rid of roundworm? Then please keep reading.

In the Host

Roundworms in humans can grow to be almost 13 inches long, 6 inches long on average. In pets, the average size of a roundworm is 4 inches. This really isn’t a pleasant thought.

Roundworm Life Cycle

The roundworm starts its life cycle as an egg in the feces of an animal. Another animal either eats that animal or eats the feces of the other animal and transfers the eggs to their own intestines where the roundworm egg molts into a larva. At this point in their life cycle, roundworm larvae are not susceptible to wormers or de-worming medication. This larva then migrates through the intestinal wall and into the lungs where it is coughed up and then swallowed once more. Once the larva makes it into the intestines for the second time, it then begins to mature into an adult roundworm.

Best Roundworm Treatment

Worm Your Pets

Worm your dog or cat before breeding them and worm them again 4-5 weeks after birth to get rid of roundworms in adults—and offspring. Roundworm larva are so sneaky and well evolved that they can manage to penetrate the mammary glands and even the placenta, making it possible for a puppy or a kitten to be born with a roundworm infection. Have all puppies and kittens wormed as soon as possible to prevent possible infection of other cats and dogs.

Get Rid of Rodents

You may need to get rid of mice and/or rats in order to get rid of roundworm. One of the many ways a cat or dog can get roundworms is by eating an intermediate host. That is, a cat may get infected by eating a mouse that was infected with roundworm before the cat ate it. This is often times the case since many mice tend to get roundworm, and then slow down when infestation becomes too severe, allowing a better chance for your cat to catch it. The same goes for dogs and other rodents.

Avoid Dog Parks

Avoiding public areas where other dogs and cats may be defecating is an obvious way to get rid of roundworms.The second most common way to get a roundworm infection, after an infected birth parent, is to accidentally (or intentionally, silly dog!) eat the feces of an infected individual. This fact makes boarding your pet, or taking your pet to “pet parks” a little more dangerous than you may have originally known. True, most places clean up the poop, but roundworm eggs can survive for years in the soil. Just be careful and discourage your dog from eating other animal’s poop.

Take Care When Traveling

Roundworm infections of the variety Ascaris lumbricoides are common in just about every part of the world, but particularly in areas where human feces is not properly discarded. Those of you living in or traveling to developing countries or places where sanitation is notoriously bad should always wash your hands (and feet, if you wear sandals), avoid making contact with the soil, avoid drinking the water, and avoid hand to hand contact with strangers. This sounds difficult and almost xenophobic, but a roundworm infection is rampant (almost to the point of 100% infection rates) in areas where careless disposal of human waste is the norm.

Pyrantel Pamoat

With a pyrantel pamoate treatment, it’s quite easy to get rid of roundworm infections. The same treatment (in different doses) is used to treat both humans, dogs, cats, and any other animal that may be infected with roundworm. Pyrantel Pamoate is the roundworm treatment that most veterinarians recommend, including our own veterinarian who is partial to the Nemex brand of this medicine, which you can order from Amazon. It is usually just prescribed once for humans, pending a test 2-3 weeks afterward, but for pets (especially puppies and kittens) three or four doses may be required to allow the roundworm larva to mature and become susceptible to the worming agent.

Roundworm Medication

I would say Pyrantel Pamoate is the best way to get rid of roundworms.

Like I said above, pyrantel pamoate is probably your best bet for getting rid of roundworm, and the list of worming products that contain it goes on and on. For pyrantel pamoate, you’re looking at Nemex, D-worm, Pamix, Worm-X, Strongid, etc. But there are other worming medications that work well against roundworm, like mebendazole and albendazole. I think Safe-Guard even makes a good wormer, but they use a variant of the bendazole drugs called febendazole. Really, it’s just a matter of preference. You should know that with age, most dogs form a natural resistance to roundworms, so you won’t spend much on roundworm treatments and medications once they’re old enough to exhibit this resistance.

Best Natural Roundworm Control

Wormwood Tincture

Wormwood tincture has been used for quite some time to treat intestinal parasites, or any parasites for that matter. Wormwood can be found in just about every herbal wormer on the market today, along with some supplementary herbs to help increase the effectiveness, but it is quite possible to get rid of worms with wormwood extract so long as you extend the treatment for no less than a month.

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Food grade diatomaceous earth, as I keep telling you, is an amazing substance. Theories suggest that the fozzilized algae with its razor-sharp edges is either swallowed by the worm and tears it apart from the inside, or passes over the worm, cutting and thus dehydrating it to death. Diatomaceous earth is also used to prevent other infestations of migrating, ground-dwelling insects like cockroaches and earwigs. You can get a 10 lb bag of diatomaceous earth from Amazon for a decent price.

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About the Author

Julianne Ragland

Julianne Ragland