A raw diet is not rare for dogs. Experts suggest eating raw meat boosts your dog’s health and well-being. However, eating meat can lead to other diseases and may put your dog’s life at risk, like eating raw pork meat.
Raw pork may contain larvae of Trichinella Spiralis roundworm that causes Trichinosis. This parasite lives inside your dog’s intestine, causing diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, and more. Luckily with the help of medicines, Trichinosis can be treated. First, however, it is best to make yourself aware of what these parasites are and how they infect your dog so you can take precautions.
Overview
- The life cycle of Trichinella Spiralis roundworm or Pork Roundworm
- How do dogs get infected by Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm?
- Symptoms of Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm in dogs
- Treatment for Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm
- Prevention for Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm in dogs
- Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm get transmitted from dogs to humans
- Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm get transmitted from dogs to other animals
The life cycle of Trichinella Spiralis roundworm or Pork Roundworm
Trichinella spiralis, a type of roundworm primarily found in pigs, boars, and other wild animals, is causing Trichinosis. The adult Trichinella Spiralis lives in the intestine area, particularly in the small intestine. However, trichinella Spiralis do not shed eggs and release them via animal feces. Instead, an adult will release larvae.
These larvae will travel throughout the body and finally embedding themselves in muscle tissues. Finally, larvae will encyst themselves or form a wall around them and becomes dormant. Dormant but alive. They can remain in this condition for years. The larvae will become active again if humans or other animals eat the host’s meat raw.
How do dogs get infected by Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm?
Typically, dogs only get infected by Trichinosis by consuming raw meat that has by the parasite. So for dogs and humans alike, most cases are caused by eating pork. Wild boar and bears are also carriers, but it is not every day that we see dogs eating wild boar and bear now, do we? But there has been a report linked to humans getting Trichinosis by eating bears and walrus.
What are the Symptoms of Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm in dogs?
The symptoms of Trichinosis depend on the severity of the infection. As the parasite resides in the stomach area, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal discomfort are present as the first signs of Trichinosis. In severe cases, fatigue, fever, headaches, chills, joint pains, itchy skin, and constipation are present. Severe cases may lead to death if not treated.
The duration of the symptoms also differs. For mild cases, it can last up to a few weeks to a month or two. But severe cases symptoms can last for months. The severity of the infection differs on the number of larvae consumed from the raw meat.
Diagnosis of Trichinosis in dogs.
In most cases, antibody tests diagnose Trichinosis, but there are times where muscle biopsies are also needed.
Fecal samples may also show larvae or eggs, but not always.
What is the treatment for Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm?
Since Trichinosis causes diarrhea and vomiting, it may also cause dehydration if not treated. Your doctor may prescribe anti-parasitic medicines to eliminate the parasites and their larvae in the intestine area. There is no need for a specialist in most cases of Trichinosis as well.
With continuous medication, parasites will be gone within a few weeks. But while you cannot remove the parasite easily from the system, your dog can get back on its feet within one to two days after the treatment starts, especially if the dog is only showing minor symptoms.
How to prevent Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm in dogs?
Although it is now rare to find cases of Trichinosis in developed countries, it is still an excellent practice to follow these methods to protect you and your dogs from the pork roundworm disease.
Do not let your dog eat uncooked pork meat.
Since pork meat is the primary carrier of larvae, it would be wise not to let your dog eat raw, uncooked pork meat. Also, consider not allowing your dog to eat wild game like rats and other wild animals without cooking them.
Cook food before feeding your dog
Suppose you worry about your dog not getting enough proteins they need; feed them cooked meat. Make sure that the meat they are eating is cooked all around before feeding it to them.
Freezing the meat
Some dogs would only eat raw meat. And we get that. Freezing the meat first will kill the larvae. Killing the larvae will depend on the amount of time it spends in the freezer. For example, a slice of six-inch-thick meat needs to stay frozen for about twenty days. But it also will depend on the thickness.
Introduce alternative meat
Instead of eating raw pork meat, you may also introduce other meats to your dog. A raw diet can consist of chicken, turkey, rabbit, duck, beef, and lambs. But before using any raw meat diet for your dog, it is always best to consult your doctor about it. Also, a raw diet may depend on your dog’s species.
Can Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm get transmitted from dogs to humans?
In general, you could say that dogs cannot infect humans with Trichinosis. However, the parasite infects other animals and humans by consuming meat that has the parasite.
However, people in countries that eat dog meat can get infected with Trichinosis if they eat uncooked or undercooked meat of contaminated dog meat. Unfortunately, up to this day, there are still many countries that eat dog meat. But for many cases of Trichinosis in humans, it is also caused by eating raw, uncooked, or undercooked pork meat.
Can Trichinosis or Pork Roundworm get transmitted from dogs to other animals?
Like in humans, Trichinosis cannot be transmitted to other animals just by getting near the infected dog. However, other animals can get infected by eating or biting into an infected dog’s flesh like fighting.
Yes, Trichinosis is scary for both humans and dogs alike. Unfortunately, they could also scare the wits out of you as a dog owner, and with good reasons. However, if you know what to look for, treating your dog and preventing harmful parasites from entering its body can be easy. But, of course, prevention is always better than cure, so learning more about the parasites and their countermeasures doesn’t hurt.
