Which parasite causes blood loss, especially in young animals?

• A. Roundworm
• B. Tapeworm
• C. Heartworm
• D. Hookworm

Answer: (D)

Hookworms cause blood loss by feeding on the host’s blood in the small intestine. They attach to the intestinal lining and consume blood, aided by anticoagulant secretions that prevent clotting at the feeding site, leading to chronic bleeding. In young animals, even a small amount of blood loss can cause significant anemia because of their already limited blood volume and immature immune systems, resulting in pale gums, weakness, poor growth, and weight loss. The parasite’s life cycle, with eggs in feces hatching into larvae that can penetrate the skin or be ingested, makes young animals particularly at risk. By contrast, roundworms mainly cause malnutrition and GI upset, tapeworms cause malabsorption and discomfort, and heartworms affect the heart and lungs, not the intestinal blood loss seen with hookworms.