Roundworms, often called 'ascarids,' are the most common
parasite of the digestive tract in dogs and cats. Many young
animals are infested with roundworms and when we look at the
life cycle, we will understand why. All of these roundworms are
widely distributed in North America. They are of considerable
importance in young animals and in catteries. Because they can
cause disease in humans, they are also very important to our
health as well. |Even birds and reptiles can have roundworms,
although they are a different genus and species than those found
in dogs and cats. The adult roundworms all live in the small
intestine of the host and their eggs look very similar. All the
roundworms are prolific and an infested animal can pass millions
of eggs in the feces each day. The roundworms differ, however,
in their life cycles. These differences are very important when
we look at how we can eliminate these parasites from our pets.
What are the life cycles of the roundworms in dogs and cats?
There are 3 types of roundw