"Think I'll go and eat worms, Big fat juicy ones, long thin slimy ones" and so the rhyme goes poking fun at our distaste for worms.

Sadly, one third of the world's human population is infected with intestinal worms and an incredible amount of research and develpment is invested into dealing with these parasites
worldwide.

The World Bank claims that worm infections impair learning and that worm control is one of the most cost effective strategies to improve health in developing countries.

It is also worth noting that pets are not involved in the transmission of human worms!

The worm with which we concentrate our efforts is the Toxacara species which infects dogs, cats and foxes.

Almost all puppies such as "Blodyn" are infected at or soon after birth from the mother's milk. Within a few weeks these worms mature in the puppy's intestine and start to produce eggs which are passed in the puppy's faeces.

Eggs may be shed at a rate of 200,000 a day. With an estimated population of about six
million dogs in the U.K. producing 1000 tons of faeces daily, dog fouling is clearly a problem!

Puppies may become ill due to very heavy infestations. Fortunately, with the use of modern safe and effective treatments such as was used on "Blodyn" we very rarely see puppies affected this way unless they come from a rescue centre.

All new owners like Sian Powell are all too aware of the importance of regular monthly
worming for their pets. Sadly, this routine is all too often neglected as the dog grows older and the health concerns fade.

Since these worms can on very rare occasions cause health problems for humans it is
important to adhere to simple hygiene precautions by disposing of faeces and worming your pet throughout it's life.

As so often is the case "Prevention is better than a cure!"
 

Terry Dunne BVMS, Cert SAO, MRCVS

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