You're looking at the adult worms of the Toxocara family, who often take up residence in the small intestines of dogs and cats. They range from 4-12 cm in length.
This parasitic worm represents just one more reason why you should steer clear of your pet's rear end: you can get infected, too. The larvae will penetrate your bowel wall and migrate through your blood vessels to reach your liver, muscles, and lungs. It might even penetrate into your eyes and brain.
I'm not saying you need to evict your dogs and cats. Quite the opposite. I'm just saying that you need to keep take care of them. And don't play in the litter box.
My wife cannot see this post, not if I am ever want to have a dog.
Thanks for the link, Ida. You're jeopardizing everything.
Photo source: titanium-white
Oct 28, 2007
Don't Play in the Litter Box
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12 comments:
I'm never looking at this site during my afternoon snack again. Stupid me.
A *House* episode was devoted to these bad boys. Or at least the penultimate five minutes were, after they had considered three other causes and nearly killed the patient.
I was fostering this cat, battle scarred and skittish. I was told she was dewormed. Finally, after a long time, she comes up into my lap for affection. I'm petting her (I'm in shorts) and feel something. Worms are wiggling out of her rear end on to me. I scream horribly (cat never does come back on my lap, but she's long been rehomed).
My worst nightmare, outside of my mother, is parasitic worms. Can't even watch Dune or Tremors. Thanks!
"... penetrate your bowels wall and migrate through your blood vessels to reach your liver, muscles and lungs ... eyes and brain."
Good morning!
Parasites are a rich field for this blog to explore--they are usually hideous and disgusting in the extreme. Let's have more botfly larvae!
God, I just lost my appetite completely. I'm usually not this squeemish, but I think Victorya's story clenched it.
*covers mouth, heads to bathroom*
Yes, these guys are always uglier when you see them in conjunction with your pets bum-hole.
To quote the six-fingered man, Victorya: "I think that the worst thing I've ever heard. How wonderful."
anything for you RW :) I ended up on deworming meds too. the things we do to save the furry animals. . .
Victorya, you deserve a medal.
It's really a happy story, in the long run, what with shy-kitty getting a new home n' all. I'm sure that the new family was able to pet the kitty without screaming. ;)
good on yeh Vic!
Easily prevented with deworming meds...IF you give the meds during the right part of the life-cycle! (some of these bad boys grow for months on the inside before they become detectable) Big mistake lots of people do: quit doing annual deworming after puppyhood/kittenhood. That's why lots more emergency rooms are seeing things like blindness due to worms migrating into the eye.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
And you may now be very grateful you don't hear the medical dinner-table conversations at my house:)
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