Hookworms are one of the nastier worms that can infect a dog and your dog can catch hookworms in ways that would surprise you. In addition, YOU can catch hookworms, too.

First of all, hookworms are so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye. Only with a microscope can a veterinarian see hookworms. Second, they can make your dog very sick.

Hookworms are bloodsuckers, drinking your dog’s blood much like the mythical vampire. Some say that 300 adult hookworms can drain 10% of your dog’s blood in a single day. Others say that hookworms can each drink 1.0 ml of blood per day. A third source claims that one hookworm will drink a half a teaspoonful of blood in a week, and that a thousand can drink 1.5 drinking glass fulls in a single day. No matter how you look at it, they can seriously drain the blood right out of your dog.

To make matters worse, hookworms inject an anti-coagulant which prevents the bite wound from clotting even after the hookworm stops feeding. In other words, your dog keeps bleeding internally whether or not the hookworms are actually feeding. That’s pretty serious.

There are three species of hookworms and they live in your dog’s intestines. Some species of hookworms can live up to 15 years; that’s longer than the life span of many dogs. Others live for only six months. Either way the hookworms multiply so once infected, treatment is required to get rid of them. A single female can lay 20,000 eggs per day inside of your dog, and the eggs hatch in a few days.

If only 300 hookworms can drain 10% of your dog’s blood in a day, and a female can lay 20,000 eggs, you can see how serious this can be for your dog. This is not small potatoes, my friend, hookworms can be fatal to your dog.

There are several ways your dog can catch hookworms. Puppies can be born infected if the mother is infected. Puppies can also catch hookworms through their mother’s milk. Beyond puppyhood the ways of catching hookworms are many, and your dog doesn’t even have to come into contact with other infected dogs.

Hookworm larva can live in the grass, soil, water, or even on dog toys. Hookworms can easily pass through the skin even if there are no open cuts to get into. Your dog can catch hookworms through the pads of his feet or by skin contact with contaminated dirt or grass. Imagine, simply by walking your dog through a contaminated area, he can catch hookworms. Just by laying down on some grass which has hookworm larva, your dog can become infected.

Drinking water which has hookworm larva can also infect your dog, such as an old tree stump that collects water. As the larva can also live on plants, eating plants is another method of transmission. In addition, hookworms can travel. Their larva can swim, thereby traveling on the morning dew or in raindrops from one place to another.

Small rodents and even cats can spread hookworms all around the neighborhood. Dogs can also catch hookworms by eating infected rodents such as mice, moles and squirrels. Think about that the next time your dog chases after a squirrel, especially if he ever catches one.

Even dog poop which has turned to dust can carry hookworms eggs, and just breathing in the dust kicked up by the wind or running through the leaves can infect your dog.

How does an area become contaminated? Infected dogs and cats pooping in the area will leave behind hookworms eggs. If the poop lies around for a few hours before being scooped, that’s all it takes for the eggs to hatch and infest the soil. Hookworms eggs can hatch in as few as 12 hours.

Symptoms of hookworms in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, pale gums, pale skin, weakness, weight loss, malnutrition and anemia which can lead to death. A dog can have hookworms and show no symptoms, however. Worse yet, hookworms don’t always show up in a poop test so your dog can be infected even with poop tests showing negative.

Hookworms that infect dogs and cats can also affect people, causing a skin irritation known as Plumber’s Itch. Hookworms can burrow under your skin and cause red, itchy bumps or a rash. Plumbers often become infected when they work up under a house with a crawlspace where cats and dogs have pooped. This was once a common affliction for plumbers which is how it came to be known as Plumber’s Itch. In rare cases, dog hookworms can infect a person’s intestinal tract.

There is also a human form of hookworm that is just as severe in humans and potentially as fatal. While this is more common in third-world countries than in industrialized nations, it can happen anywhere. Hookworms thrive in warm, humid climates and the Southeast U.S. once had hookworms in epidemic proportions. As living conditions improve, hookworms become less prevalent.

Just as with dogs and cats, people can catch hookworms through their skin simply by sitting in contaminated grass or sand. With such an easy form of transmission, hookworms can quickly become a public health hazard.

Sandy beaches can be a haven for hookworms of all types, which is one reason why public beaches frown on dogs at the beach. Children’s sandboxes are another place where hookworms can thrive, especially if the neighborhood cats use the sandbox as cat litter. Cats can both catch and transmit hookworms just as dogs can.

While there is no way to fully protect your dog from catching hookworms, you can minimize his chances. Promptly scoop all poop on your property, especially poop left behind by other dogs and cats. Avoid walking your dog where other dogs and cats regularly poop. Keep your dog on heartworm prevention, and choose one that protects him from other worms as well.

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We hear about stories in the news such as the hero dog from Afghanistan who foiled a suicide bomber’s attempts to blow up an American barracks, and was later adopted by an Army medic who had witnessed the dog’s bravery. The dog, whose name was Target, was flown to the U.S. to live with his new family in Arizona.

The happy ending was short-lived, however. Target escaped from their yard, was captured by the dog catcher, and euthanized by mistake before the family could reclaim him. Target had captured the hearts of millions and all around the world people who’d never met Target the dog cried for him.

For every dog story that makes front page news, there are dog stories which live only in the hearts and minds of those directly involved. One such story broke my heart. The only reason I know of this story is because I personally know the dog owners and have been following their heartwrenching tale on Facebook.

It is the story of a fireman, his beloved wife and children, and their three dogs: Charlie, Maggie Bean and Doolie. I have never before witnessed such love in a family as this family shares. When you read their conversations on Facebook you can feel the love that fills their home and you cannot help but smile. Theirs is a family full of love, light, and heroism.

The fireman has saved the lives of countless people in his career. He has saved homes from burning to the ground. He saved a stranded woman from drowning during the floods of 2009. He is a quiet hero, known only to his friends and family but not the world at large.

Their story began on a happy note as many stories do. The fireman and his wife had gone to the beach for a few days vacation with hearts of love floating all around them, as always. They were celebrating their wedding anniversary. The horror began when they came home.

All three of their dogs had gotten loose while they were on vacation. Someone had been watching the dogs for them and the dogs ran out the door while under the care of the dog sitter. It’s hard enough to go away and leave your dogs behind especially for the fear of something like this happening.

No matter how hard we try to keep our dogs in, sometimes they get out. There are so many ways a dog can get out despite our best efforts to prevent it.

Many moons ago before my husband and I got married, I had taken my dog Gypsy Rose to spend a weekend with my not-yet husband. I didn’t know it when I let Gypsy Rose out into the fenced yard, but the gate was open. I let my dog out, she found the open gate and off she went to explore.

A half hour later when I went to let her back in, my dog Gypsy Rose was long gone. I went all up and down the street looking for her, to no avail. I called and called but there was no sign of her. I went to the next street over, walking down the street and calling out to her. Nothing. Not a sign.

Being close to a major road I was beginning to panic. There were so many directions she could have gone in and so many cars barreling down that big road that could hit her. I didn’t know which direction to look and I felt like I was searching for a needle in a haystack. Being on foot my progress was painfully slow and I wasn’t making any headway.

As I was walking back up the street a pickup truck pulled up next to me asking if I was looking for a dog. I said yes and described Gypsy Rose. They had found her wandering around and put her in their fenced backyard. I had walked right past their house never knowing that my dog was in their backyard. She was a quiet dog and hadn’t made a peep.

They gave me and Gypsy Rose a ride back to the house and Gypsy Rose went on to live with me until she passed away at fifteen years old. Thankfully our story had a happy ending. It could so easily have been otherwise. I had never let her run loose intentionally and yet she got out. It happens.

And so it happened to the fireman and his family. All three of their dogs got out together. Like me, they went searching for their dogs and at first they were reporting their dogs as being lost. They kept searching and they finally found all three dogs, but their dogs did not have the happy ending that Gypsy Rose did.

Their dog Maggie Bean had been hit by a car and left by the road to die. By the time the fireman found her, their beloved Maggie Bean was dead. Maggie Bean had been a gift for their first wedding anniversary and thus held a very special place in their hearts.

The second dog, Doolie, was fine. Doolie’s feathers were a bit ruffled but otherwise fine. Doolie had escaped the wheels of oncoming traffic.

The third dog, Charlie, had also been hit by a car and left to die, presumably the same car that had killed Maggie Bean. Or perhaps Charlie had stayed close to the dying Maggie Bean to protect her and was hit by a different car. We will never know exactly what happened to the fireman’s dogs on that fateful night.

The fireman found Charlie severely injured and immediately took him to the vet. They’ve been trying to save his life ever since. All through the Thanksgiving holiday they battled for Charlie’s life and it looks like their Christmas will be filled with the fear of losing Charlie as well.

It’s been touch and go for their dog Charlie who is struggling with his many injuries. His face and eyesocket were injured. His legs and hip were injured. This fireman and his family lost one dog and are now facing the holidays with the battle to save the life of their other dog.

It is heartbreaking to read their tale of loss and their battle to bring Charlie back to health. Charlie has good days and bad days, and he’ll make progress forward only to lose ground and fall backward again.

During a recent backslide the fireman’s wife was beside herself with anguish. She said, “My Charlie is not doing well and I just don’t think I can handle the loss of another dog. He’s not eating, not moving, and we had to carry him to the vet. He hasn’t been the same since the accident. He just keeps getting worse.”

It broke my heart to hear her anguish. Her friends all rallied around her with attempts at comforting words but truly there is no comfort when you are battling to save a life. The vet said that Charlie was full of infection and put him on more antibiotics.

They’ve been struggling for words to answer the questions of their children. With one dog gone the kids have been asking about Charlie and their fireman father has no answer. A home that had been so full of love and light and laughter was now full of sadness and death. This family had lost one dog and was battling valiantly not to lose another, and Charlie began his fight for life traveling back and forth from his home to the vet.

I looked through the photos they’d posted of their three dogs. It showed a life of love with the dogs in the center of it right up there next to the kids. I saw a dog lying on the couch next to his daddy, dogs swimming in the lake, dogs playing fetch with sticks, and even a dog in the bathtub for a bath. These were not backyard dogs ignored by their owners or left to roam loose. These dogs were beloved family members who lived indoors with their family.

The bottomless pit of grief worsened for this valiant family when the vet discovered a horrific deed while he was working to restore this beloved dog back to health. The vet found a BB lodged in the dog. No one knows when the horrible deed occurred or who had done it. No one knows whether it was done as the dog laid dying in the road after being hit by a car, or whether it had been done an hour or week or months before.

This family who was battling to save the life of their dog had to live with the horrible knowledge that someone had shot the dog with a BB gun. What would go through your mind? Did the driver of the car who’d hit the dog attempt to finish the job with a BB gun? Did a later passerby attempt to euthanize the dog rather than calling a vet or animal control?

Or had a neighbor shot the dog long before the accident that brought the dirty deed into the light? The question would always hang heavy on your mind. You’d never be able to look at any of your neighbors the same again. This couple whose home had always been full of love and laughter would now look at their neighbors and wonder: Did one of them shoot the dog? I know I would.

Here is a fireman, a hero who saves lives, protects property, and risks his life for others, having to live with the knowledge that someone shot his dog with a BB gun while he was out saving lives. He has to live with the knowledge that while he and his brethren risk their lives to pull people out of burning buildings, someone left his dogs to die by the side of the road.

No one who loves their dogs as a family member deserves to live through the horror of losing a dog and battling for the life of another. After a several week battle to save Charlie’s life, they finally had to let go. Charlie was not able to recover from his injuries. They lost two of their three dogs just as they were supposed to be celebrating their wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The next time you see an injured dog, or worse, hit a dog with your car even if accidentally, consider the family behind the dog before you drive away and leave the dog to die.

Do not assume that the dog was just a stray wandering loose. Do not assume that the owner was lax in his ownership and allowed the dog to run loose. Stop and help the dog, give the dog a chance at life — his daddy may be the man who saves your life someday.

The spider web was a gigantic maze of concentric circles just outside our front door. The spider’s web connected the front porch roof to the front porch railing. Right in the center of the giant spider web was a big hairy spider with striped legs.

This big hairy spider was a bit harder to identify than many of the insects I come across. The spider had reddish-brown legs which tapered into black and white striped legs. Her body was brown and covered with hair. All of these photos are of the same spider, but taken on different days.

I believe that my big hairy spider is a variety of Orb Weaver spider of the Araneus or Neoscona family of spiders which are common in the U.S. and Canada. Orb Weaver identification often involves a close-up view of their genitals with a few notable exceptions and unless you are a spider expert, you might narrow down to the family but that’s about as close as you’ll get.

I took my best shot at identifying the big hairy spider. Noting the reddish hue on her legs, she could be a Redfemured Spotted Orbweaver spider (Neoscona Domiciliorum). Her topside however, looked more like a Hentz’s Orbweaver (Neoscona Crucifera). Alternately, she might belong to the Araneus family of Orb Weavers which includes Barn Spiders. Regardless of which Orb Weaver she is, all Orb Weavers share certain traits.

Commonly seen during the autumn months, the Orb Weaver spider webs are oft photographed, especially in the early morning hours when they are covered with dewdrops. If the spiderweb gets damaged, the spider may eat the remaining portion before spinning a new spiderweb. Many Orb Weaver spiders eat their webs at dawn or dusk and then spin a brand new web for the following day even if the existing web isn’t damaged. You might think of Orb Weaver spiders as meticulous housekeepers.

As female Orb Weaver spiders are the ones who usually spin the big spiderwebs up to six feet across, I’m guessing this spider to be female. Male Orb Weaver spiders are usually smaller and instead of spinning webs, they wander around in search of a mate. The males often die after mating while the females die at first frost. Spider eggs are laid in the fall and hatch in the spring spawning several hundred baby spiders. Orb Weaver spider eggs overwinter even in freezing temperatures.

The Orb Weaver spiders come in a wide variety of sizes, colors and patterns with many of them offering striking appearances. The giant black and yellow striped spiders are Orb Weavers as are many of the spiny spiders. The bodies of the larger species of Orb Weaver spiders can grow more than an inch long and that doesn’t include the legs. So a big hairy Orb Weaver spider truly is a BIG hairy spider!

While some of the Orb Weavers are big, scary hairy spiders perched in the middle of a very big spider web, for the most part they are harmless to humans. Most Orb Weaver spider bites are dry bites meaning that they do not inject venom. Only 20% of the Orb Weaver spider bites actually inject venom and those are usually from the female spiders.

The male spiders would rather scurry away or play dead than bite you so you’ve got to really be messing with this big boy to get bitten. Even the females tend to skitter away if you get too close to their web rather than facing off with you in an aggressive stance. If you do get a spider bite from an Orb Weaver spider, it is similar to a bee sting. Keep in mind that there are quite a variety of species and their venom is not all the same so if you’re not sure what you’re messing with, keep a safe distance.