Intestinal worms pose a risk to the health of our pets and ourselves. Knowing how they are transmitted and how to prevent them is key to preventing its spread and the damage they cause. Intestinal worms are parasites that affect not only dogs and cats, also parasitize reptiles, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets,... All animals that we have as pets. Some can be transmitted to people with significant health risk, so you should know well how they are transmitted and how to prevent them.

These "bugs" are stuck in the lining of the intestine and feed on the host animal (dog, cat), causing intestinal inflammation that causes chronic diarrhea (a few days the stools are normal and others have no consistency). The result of this inflammation is an inadequate food digestion or incomplete absorption of nutrients resulting from the work did not arrive in sufficient quantity for the blood, causing malnutrition that results in an apparent thinning and bad hair (dry, dull and rough). In the case of puppies, causing an abdominal lump them look "big belly", despite its thinness. Some species of worms feed on blood, which also cause anemia.

Consequences of the intestinal parasitism:
- Chronic diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Weight Loss
- Anemia
- Poor appearance of the skin and hair
- As puppies, distended abdomen.

We distinguish two types of worms:
1.- Worms flat or tapeworms, which in the view are small flat ribbons.
2.- The worms round they are like "spaghetti" but shorter. Not all look good to the naked eye (the Trichuris are finite).
This classification is very important because their lifestyles are different and not all respond well to these treatments.

Flatworms or tapeworms
Tapeworms need an intermediate host (in which larvae develop) so that it could spread to other animals. For example Dipylidium is transmitted by fleas. The pet is scratching his mouth, accidentally eats a flea, and from there spreading fires. So when there are fleas on a dog or cat should be treated the two parasites (fleas and intestinal parasites Dipylidium).

Had other, better known it, is what produces the hydatid cyst (Echinoccocus), a disease that infects humans and can be very grave prognosis. The life cycle of this parasite is closed when the dog eats offal of sheep, cows... carry the larval form already in the canine or human body evolve cyst. Years ago had such an impact in Spain that some regions did eradication campaigns.

To control tapeworms have to take two types of measures:
1- Avoid intermediate hosts, which contain larvae (control of fleas in the case of Dipylidium or prevent dogs eating raw viscera in the case of hydatid cyst).
2 - Use worming tablets - like Panacur for Dogs, to kill adult tapeworms.

Roundworms
Roundworms are passed from dogs and cats to others directly, when the animal sniffs or licks feces or anus of parasitized animals. Ascaris (a type of roundworm) can also infect humans. I should say that the risk are the eggs that are microscopic.

How control roundworms:
1 - Applying a correct hygiene and avoiding contact with the feces (we can step on one in the street or in the field and bring it home) or parasitized animals. If the dog or cat is parasitized eggs can be borne communicable put microscopic worms, or by licking (grooming them for his entire body through the tongue) or cherish them (in their fur can be found eggs that have come there to hair grooming, after licking the anus, or rolling around on land contaminated with eggs that arrived with the feces of another dog or cat). For this reason it is so important to wash hands thoroughly with soap after playing with our pets.

In the case of institutions (nurseries, kindergartens, etc..) Should apply a strict cleanliness and hygiene on the premises where they are.

2 - Manage antiparasitic.
In view of what has been said, the really interesting is not treating the disease when we see our pet expels worms in the stool, because as can be transmitted to people, if he was already in our animal, can hab