These are a more serious problem in young animals. The worms are active blood suckers in the gut causing anemia, dark stools and death if present in large numbers. Their life cycle is somewhat similar to roundworms. However, infective larvae can also penetrate skin to cause infection. Larvae migration before kits are born is not a very important source of infection. The most important way is through the vixen’s milk. Worms mature in the gut of kits by three weeks and each can suck up to 0.12 cc of blood per day, this causing the clinical signs.
Ivomec and Panacur are effective means of treatment for hookworms.