This is a flatworm parasite that uses freshwater snails as its intermediate host until it can infect a warm-blooded mammal.Ī dog cannot be infected by swallowing the eggs from an infected dog’s stool. Causes of Flatworms in Dogsįlatworm infection in dogs is caused by the parasite Heterobilharzia americana. Some studies have found this process may take as long as 84 days. The severity of symptoms depends on how many mature flatworms have infected a dog, where worms have penetrated, and where inflammation is occurring.

If not treated, Heterobilharzia americana can be fatal. If the flatworm migrates to the lungs, symptoms may include:Įggs produced by adult flatworms will invade the intestinal tract and cause diarrhea (which may be bloody or contain mucous) as well as fever and loss of appetite. Other symptoms will develop as the flatworm migrates to other areas. If you’re swimming or wading with your dog, you might also develop a rash, known as swimmer’s itch. You may notice this if your dog has short hair or if the parasite penetrates the skin on the stomach, where there is little or no hair. When the flatworm penetrates the dog’s skin, they can cause a rash-type of reaction. The symptoms caused by the flatworm in dogs are general and often mistaken for other diseases. The lifecycle repeats if the eggs hatch in water and find another freshwater snail to infect. Within the liver, male and female flatworms reproduce, and the eggs can pierce the intestinal wall, to be shed into an animal’s feces. From the lungs, they travel through the bloodstream to the liver, where the flatworms develop into mature adults. When the flatworm reaches a certain stage, it’s shed from the snail into the water, where it swims around looking for a host such as a dog (or other mammal) to infect.įlatworms infect a dog by penetrating the skin and migrating to the lungs, where they can cause symptoms such as coughing. As a result, infections are limited to where these snails thrive. The parasite uses a type of freshwater snail as its intermediate host, meaning that it first develops in the snail before it infects other animals. However, cases have been found as far north as Kansas. This parasite is more common in southern states such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Heterobilharzia americana is a flatworm (or fluke) parasite that swims or wades in freshwater, including ponds, lakes, swamps, canals, etc.).

What Is Heterobilharzia, or the Flatworm Parasite in Dogs?

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