How to Get Rid of Worms
Getting rid of worms depends on what type of worm your pet has. The next question is whether or not you can take that type of worm out of your pet’s system. For example, for you to get tapeworm, a flea that had eaten the eggs of a tapeworm which came out of the feces of a cat or a dog must be digested. The same is true with a roundworm. Its fecal matter should be digested to get the eggs out of the pet’s body. In humans in the United States, being infected by a hookworm is not common because people wear shoes, but those who don't may suffer from infections if they walk on the feces of an individual who is also infected. Being infected by a hookworm is common in developing countries, especially in areas where people do not wear shoes. The worms you need get rid of are not those that cultivate the land and make your crops healthier by giving you nourished soil. The worms you need to get rid of are the worms that infect you or your pets. These pests are called intestinal worms or intestinal parasites. The following are some tips on how to get rid of worms.
Getting Rid of Worms The Natural Way
Diatomaceous Earth – When dealing with intestinal worms in cats and dogs, diatomaceous earth is always the best solution to turn to. It's a type of algae that is fossilized and mined. Diatomaceous earth is also referred to as medical grade diatomite or food grade, and is used to de-worm people and pets. If you are dealing with human worm, then a teaspoon of it each day is suggested. If you are dealing with cat worms, a heaping teaspoon a day is recommended. For dog worms, though, you will need one tablespoon. Herbal Supplements – You can now buy worm control herbal supplement these days. You can use these on your pet if you do not want it to ingest anything with a chemical formula in it. An example of this herbal supplement is Para-Gone supplement, which has orange peel, marshmallow, thyme, pippli rosemary, pumpkin seed, clove, pau d’arco, garlic, cape aloe gel, caprylic acid, bismuth citrate, wormwood, quassia, grapefruit seed extract, undecyclenic acid and black walnut. Another herbal supplement for de-worming is Worm Clear. Worm Clear is manufactured especially for kittens, puppies, cats and dogs. It can control tapeworm, roundworm and hookworm in these pets. It is 100% natural and is approved by the FDA. It's fairly low-priced, too - available for as low as $12. Wormwood Tincture – There are a lot of natural de-worming formulas these days, and woodworm tincture has always been one of the most active ingredients. Some people who de-worm their pets do not use products with woodworm tincture, because they use the tincture alone. If you are planning to do this, you should observe a treatment regiment for your pet that will last for a month to make sure that reinfestation will not occur again. This is very true, especially if you are dealing with roundworm.
Dealing with a Specific Types of Worm
Roundworms
When a roundworm is mature, it grows up to 13 inches long. Not all mature roundworms grow that long since some can only reach 4 inches in length. A roundworm is as thick as a spaghetti noodle, and you can find in both cats and dogs. It has a highly complicated life cycle. If you want to get rid of it, then you should interrupt this complicated life cycle. You may have to go through three to four treatments of medicine based on pyranted pamoate, all of which done only in a month. You will have to go through it once a week to make sure that the migrating roundworms and the mature ones are destroyed.
Pinworms
You won't find pinworms in cats and dogs. These parasites live in the intestines of your son, your mother or your own. In fact, in the United States, infections from pinworms are the most common intestinal worm infection that people experience. Getting rid of this intestinal worm is challenging, but not impossible. Get rid of pinworms by washing your hands on a regular basis. If you don't, then expect to ingest pinworm eggs from all the dirt that lands on your hands. Your doctor can detect if you are infected by a pinworm through your stool. He can prescribe an over-the-counter medication like Reese's Pinworm Medicine or Vermox. These two are very common prescriptions given to people who are infected by pinworms.
Tapeworms
You can find tapeworms in animals and humans, but they are most common in animals. A tapeworm problem is almost the same as a flea problem. What makes these two problems synonymous to each other is how the fleas ingest tapeworm eggs and the need for fleas to be ingested to be infected. Getting rid of tapeworms means getting rid of fleas. Treatments for both infections are administered at the same time. If you are infected by a tapeworm, you will be given a product that will deworm you. You will also need to make some adjustments with your environment, like treating your surroundings with Methoprene or Nylar to control the population of tapeworms and fleas.
Ringworms
A ringworm is not actually a worm. It is an a ring-shaped fungus that gives you rashes once it infects you. It is the same as athlete's foot when it comes to the family of fungus that gives you the trouble. Get rid of ringworm by dabbing bleach on the affected skin area. Using bleach may give you a chemical burn so to avoid this, wipe the bleach clean. A topical antiseptic or an astringent can also be used to treat the condition. Topical treatments and antifungal medications are used to treat your cats and dogs, but spores may still cause infections to recur.
Hookworms
Hookworms are common in the United States. Out of all the cases of intestinal infections worldwide, the infection from hookworms accounts for the 800 million cases. You can get rid of this infection by using albendazole or mebendazole, which your doctor will prescribe you once you undergo consultation. You have to take any of these medications two a day for three straight days. Hookworms also infect your cats and dogs. If your pets are infected, make sure they take anthelmintic once a week. Do this for two to three weeks to make sure that you interrupt the parasite's life cycle. As a general tip, it is important to always make sure that every time you introduce a pet to your home, you have them checked beforehand to make sure they don't have worms. A quarantine period is required to make sure that your pet will make your home a healthy place to live in.