Description
Hookworms live in the small intestines and "graze" on the intestinal walls.  These parasites can infect both dogs and cats, but dogs are infected much more commonly.  Hookworms actually have mouthpieces that "hook" into the small intestine, where they begin to digest away the tissue and suck blood.  In addition, hookworms secrete an anticoagulant that makes the blood lose its ability to clot.  Thus, the worm is able to consume as much blood as it can before moving to the next site, causing severe problems for puppies and kittens since the old sites continue to bleed and young animals often cannot withstand significant blood loss.  Puppies and kittens can die from hookworms very quickly.