While there are many kinds of worm infections in dogs, the most common ones include roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and the most life-threatening, heartworms. Adult dogs with mild infestations can live seemingly healthy lives. Weak and malnourished pets are more at risk for severe blood loss and even fatalities.
Puppies are also at a higher risk of serious complications, as well as a reduction in growth. Giving puppies with worms treatment for the condition is essential to their continued health. Regularly using preventative methods can protect your furry buddy from a worm infestation, and can be as easy as a spot-on treatment or a chewable tablet.
Dogs can become infected after the ingestion of the eggs or larvae of various worm species. Worms are parasitic and need to live off of our dogs to survive. They can proliferate in the intestines, the heart, or other vital organs, causing digestive and respiratory distress, or a reduction in heart function.
Signs are often absent in the early stages of an infestation. Chronic diarrhea and the presence of worms in the feces are usually the first indications that your dog is infested with worms. For example, you may see white worms in your dog’s poop before you even realize that your pal has contracted them.
Symptoms of Worm Infestations in Dogs
Often, you may not see any signs that your dog has a worm infection. Changes in elimination and the presence of worms in the stool are often the alert that something has invaded your dog. Symptoms of a worm infestation in your dog can include:
- Diarrhea, often chronic
- Watery or bloody stool
- Mucus in the stool
- Gas
- Worms in the poop, which can appear as white to tan spaghetti, rice grains, sesame seeds
- Worms in vomited material
- Worms stuck to anal area
- Changes in appetite
- Poor hair coat
- Weight loss
- Abdominal or rectal pain or discomfort
- Abdominal swelling
- Scooting rear end along ground
- Irritation around anus
- Excessively licking or biting anal area
- Soft, dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Pale gums
- Listlessness
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Loss of stamina
- Anemia
- Skin irritation or itching, such as in paws
- Retarded growth in puppies
Types
There are many types of parasitic worms that live in dogs. The most common include:
Heartworms
Heartworms are spread through mosquito bites, which allows infective larvae to mature inside a dog. Heartworms live in the heart and blood vessels where they can interfere with heart function and clog the blood vessels, thereby reducing blood flow to other vital organs. Once infected, it may take several years for symptoms to appear in your dog, and once they do, the infection is quite advanced. Signs are often most noticeable after exercise, and can include a soft, dry cough, weakness, and shortness of breath. This infestation can be fatal.
Whipworms
These parasites have long necks and short bodies, which give them a whip and handle appearance. They live in the cecum and large intestines of dogs, where they bury their heads into the intestinal walls to feed. A whipworm infection results in bloody diarrhea that can be chronic, and a general debilitation. The microscopic eggs they shed with the stool can live up to 5 years in the environment, and can infect or re-infect healthy dogs.
Tapeworms
Also inhabitants of the intestines, these long, flat, ribbon-like parasites do not have mouths, but rather, they feed by absorbing their food through their skin. They attach to your dog’s intestinal wall through suckers and hooks on their heads. Tapeworms can live in your dog without causing too much harm, but they can hinder the growth in puppies. They are composed of segments which often break off as the tapeworm matures, and can be seen as rice grains in your dog’s feces. You might also see your dog vomit up an entire tapeworm, or just become generally dull or restless. A heavy infestation can cause a more serious illness, involving diarrhea, pain, and weight loss.
Roundworms
This term refers to various types of nematode worms. The type most commonly seen in dogs is the Toxocara canis. These round-shaped parasites live in the intestines where they feed off of the partially digested food. Roundworms can be seen in poop and in your dog’s vomit. What do roundworms look like? They look similar to a spaghetti noodle and can be light brown or white. These harmful parasites can also inhabit other organs, including the lungs, in the larval stage. Adult dogs may not show signs of a roundworm infestation, or they may exhibit respiratory or digestive problems, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or coughing. Puppies are at the most risk, as a roundworm infection can cause a reduction in growth.
Hookworms
These intestinal dwellers live off of blood, and attach their sharp teeth onto your dog’s intestinal wall. Despite the fact that they are very small and difficult to see with the naked eye, they can consume so much blood that it can result in anemia in your dog. They also release an anti-coagulant into their attachment sites, causing continued bleeding even after they have become detached. Dogs can become infected by eating the eggs, or the larvae can burrow into a dog’s skin from the ground. Symptoms of heavy blood loss, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss are due to heavy infestations in the intestines, while irritated and itchy paws can be a result of larval entry into your dog.
Causes of Worm Infestations in Dogs
While most worm species can infect your dog through ingestion of the eggs, there are various other ways that your dog can become infected. Each type of worm has its own unique life cycle. Ways worms can be transmitted to your dog include:
Heartworm
- Mosquito bite transmits infective larvae
Whipworms
- Consuming infected soil, stool, or water
Tapeworms
- Consuming an infected intermediate host, such as flea, rabbit, mouse, or fish
Roundworms
- Consuming infected soil, stool, or vomit
- Consuming infected intermediate host, such as rodents, earthworms, birds, or roaches
- Invasion through the skin and paws
- Passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy
- Passed from mother to puppy through milk
Hookworms
- Consuming infected soil or stool
- Absorption through the skin
- Passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy
- Passed from mother to puppy through milk
- Invasion through the skin and paw
Most-Common Symptoms of Worms in Dogs
Treating a worm infestation:
For the most common types of worms, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms, there are all-in-one medications for your dog (allwormers) in flavoured chewable tablets which will kill the existing infestation. Worming tablets have no residual effect so they will not prevent your dog from contracting them.
Here is the list of the most common products for worm infestions :
Drontal Dog Tasty Bone Tablet
- Fast action against common canine intestinal tapeworms and roundworms
- Bone-shaped design to make them more appetising to your pet
- Can give at any time, on their own or with food
Panacur Granules for Cats & DogsA broad spectrum oral wormer, for the treatment of cats and dogs infected with roundworms and tapeworms.
Drontal Plus XL Beef Flavour Dog Worming TabletUse this tablet to help combat worms in your dog, and keep your pet happy and healthy
Please note: the terms “broad-spectrum, multi-wormer and allwormer” usually refer to products designed as treatment for all common intestinal worms, and may not be effective against heartworm, lungworm and all types of tapeworm.
Steps To Preventing Worms
Preventive medications work very well, but it’s always possible for the worms to make a comeback. To keep that from happening, you have to destroy eggs or larvae before they reappear. That means good sanitation and a clean, dry living space for your pet:
- Outdoor runs should have a watertight surface (of cement, for instance) instead of dirt.
- Scoop poop from the yard or run daily.
- Keep your lawn cut short and water it only when necessary.
- Fleas, lice, mice, and other rodents can carry tapeworm and pass it on to your dog. Get rid of them and you’ll control the disease.
- Don’t let your dog roam and hunt; raw meat, carrion, or parts of dead animals that are likely carriers of parasites.
- If you give your dog any fresh meat, be sure to cook it thoroughly first.
Some preventive measures to reduce the risk of worms in dogs include:
- Initial treatments given to all puppies at 3 weeks of age
- Treating nursing females alongside their litter
- Monthly dog worms preventive medication
- Fecal examinations performed between 2-4 times per year depending on lifestyle habits
- Prompt detection and intervention in the form of a dewormer for dogs
- Clean up backyard feces periodically, at least 2-3 times per week
- In public parks, playgrounds and dog parks, immediately dispose of feces with sanitary gloves and sealable bags
- Stressing sanitary and hygienic conditions in the home, including limiting internal exposure to contaminated soil, fecal matter, and host animals
- Stressing hygiene in public, and especially with children, by limiting or avoiding exposure to potentially contaminated objects, locations, animals, or people
Deworming Puppies and New Dogs
Both newly homed puppies and rehomed adult dogs should be dewormed as follows:
- Puppies: Initial treatment at 3 weeks of age and then as directed by your veterinarian. After the initial treatment(s) are completed, we recommend a monthly heartworm preventive that also helps prevent intestinal parasites. This should be the beginning of an annual dewormer for dogs protocol that your veterinarian can monitor and adjust if necessary.
- Adult Dogs: Once the initial dewormer for dogs has been given as a puppy, dogs should receive monthly preventives year round. Additionally, we recommend performing fecal tests between 2-4 times per year depending on your dog’s lifestyle and several other factors.
- Newly Acquired Dogs: No matter the age or documented history, we recommend a dewormer for dogs immediately upon acquisition, then again as recommended by your veterinarian, with a monthly dewormer for dogs preventive to follow as directed.
