Toxocara canis
Dog roundworm
Symptoms reported
- •Hepatomegaly
- •Lymphadenopathy
- •Urticaria
- •Visual loss
- •Chorioretinal granuloma
Life cycle
Larvae hatch in the human intestine and migrate to the liver, lungs, or eyes, but cannot mature into adults in humans.
Transmission
Ingestion of embryonated eggs contaminated in soil.
Conventional medical treatment
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) 100 mg thrice daily for 3 weeks.
For information only. Discuss with a licensed healthcare provider before starting any pharmaceutical.
Treatment Options — Natural First, Pharmaceutical When Needed
Natural First
- •Wormwood
- •Black Walnut Hull
- •Berberine
- •Neem
- •Activated charcoal (binder)
- •Hydration + electrolytes
- •Rest + bone broth nutrition
Pharmaceutical (if natural-first insufficient)
- •Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) 100 mg thrice daily for 3 weeks.
When to escalate to pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical first if: heavy worm burden with anemia or weight loss, persistent symptoms > 6 weeks of natural treatment, pediatric failure to thrive, immunocompromised host, or pregnancy.
Traditional herbal alternatives
In stock at our apothecary
In our database (educational reference)
Each herb above carries a tradition. See the 2,000-year lineage of Western herbal medicine →
“Since humans are the unusual host for these animal nematodes, further development of the larvae doesn’t take place; instead, the larvae get encapsulated.”
— Essentials of Medical Parasitology
This page is for educational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before acting on anything you read here.