Identifying Dog Worms

Worms are one of the most common internal parasites in dogs. In fact, every single dog in the world are at a risk to dog worms. They can infest in any stage of a dog’s life. In some cases, puppies are born with parasitic worms that are transmitted from their mothers. Symptoms of dog worms vary based on the type of worms. Some dog worms even cause death, if not treated in the early stages of infestation. As a dog owner, one needs to be very responsible about his/her dog’s health and learn on how to identify symptoms of dog worms. This way, proper treatment of dog worms can be done at the right time.

Identifying Dog Worms

There are five types of dog worms; namely tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and heartworms. All of these worms, except heartworms infest the intestines of dogs. Heartworms, as the name suggests, infest in the heart of dogs. Let’s look into the details of dog worms that will help in identification as well as their associated symptoms.

Roundworms (Toxocara canis): Roundworms, also called nematodes, are the most common worms that dogs fall prey to. Roundworms don’t show symptoms in healthy dogs, whereas symptoms are distinct in case of stressed dogs. Heavy infestation of hookworms is common at the time of pregnancy and often, worms get transmitted to the puppy in the mother’s womb. Puppies can get infected through the mother’s milk and also through ingestion of contaminated food and soil. They harbor in the dog’s intestines and feed on the intestinal food. Thus, dogs infested with roundworms lose weight and get tired quickly. Other symptoms of roundworms include increased fatigue, loss of appetite, dull coat, vomiting and diarrhea.

Roundworms can be seen by our naked eye, they usually grow to about seven inches in length. Diagnosis of roundworms is done after examining the dog’s stool and/or vomit. Treatment of roundworms is done by following oral medications. It is to be noted that roundworms are zoonotic, which means they can infect humans. Hence, maintaining hygiene is one of the important ways to prevent spreading of roundworms. Make sure that you clean fecal matter from the backyard and lawn regularly, so as to protect your pet as well as your family from these dangerous roundworms.

Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum): Tapeworms are long, segmented, flat and ribbon-like worms that infest in the dog’s intestines. There are three common species of tapeworms that infect dogs. Unlike other dog worms, tapeworms need an intermediate host (flea, mouse) for completion of their life cycle. When tapeworms attain maturity, their body segments are filled up with eggs, which are then broken off from the mother’s body. Thus, spreading of eggs into the environment takes place. Symptoms of tapeworm infestation are vomiting, abdominal pain, itching around the anus and weight loss.

Usually, broken segments that looks like rice grains, are found in the areas surrounding the dog’s anus and in the stool. Flea’s larvae pick up these segments as their food. Further transmission of tapeworms to dogs takes place after ingesting the infected fleas. Deworming of dogs with oral medications or injections is done for treatment of tapeworms.

Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninium): Hookworms are small, about half an inch long and are found in the intestine of dogs. They hook into the intestinal walls of their victims and suck blood. Transmission of hookworms from the infected mother takes place while the pups are in the mother’s uterus and through her breast milk. Infestation of hookworms in puppies is fatal; however, their symptoms are comparatively mild in older dogs. Common symptoms of hookworms are anemia, skin irritation, weight loss, blood in the stool, dull pink color of the gums and fatigue.

Since hookworms are minute, they cannot be seen with our naked eye. They can be identified only after running a stool test. Treatment of hookworms is done with prescribed medications. There are several oral medications as well as preventive monthly medications available for prevention of hookworms. It is important to note that hookworms are zoonotic and transmission takes place by penetration of the worms in the skin. Infection of hookworms in humans causes abdominal cramp, diarrhea, vomiting and even bleeding in the intestines.

Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis): Whipworms are long worms that look like threads with one side enlarged. They harbor in the colon of the large intestine in dogs and feed on the intestinal walls. Heavy infections of whipworms causes symptoms like intestinal bleeding, weight loss, dehydration, blood in the stool and diarrhea.

Whipworms are identified by running a stool test. Usually, plugged eggs are seen in the stool sample when viewed under a microscope. It is very difficult to get rid of the whipworms once they infest the dogs. Deworming is done with prescribed medications, which can be either oral or intravenous injections. Since dogs get infected with whipworms while feeding on contaminated food and soil, removal of feces is one of the effective ways of controlling spread of whipworms.

Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis): Heartworms lives in the pulmonary blood vessels and in the right atrium of the heart. Matured heartworms can measure up to about 14 inches in length. They spread from one infected dog to another via mosquito bites. Early symptoms of heartworms are vague; usually symptoms such as weight loss, dull coat, cough and fainting appear only in the later stages. In severe cases, it can lead to heart attack and even death of the infested dogs.

Diagnosis of heartworms is done only after conducting a blood test. Heartworm treatment is done with medications and proper rest. In some instances, surgical removal of the adult heartworms is proved to be beneficial in treatment of heartworms.

In general, intestinal dog worms are diagnosed with stool test, whereas blood test is done for identification of heartworms. In order to avoid from complications of worm infestation, it is advisable to seek advice from a vet. Follow certain precautions such as deworming a puppy every 15 days until it is six months old. Once it attains 6 months, deworming should be done once in a year. Also, stool analysis should be done regularly. One should always maintain good hygiene and if possible pave the backyard so as to prevent worm infestation in the soil. In addition, there are natural treatments for dog worm infestations. It is always better to know about proper dog care and common health problems of dogs. After all, pet owners are responsible for their dog’s health and fitness.