Dog Worms

As many dog owners know, your canine buddy will probably have irritating gut parasites at some period in their lifetime. Dog worms aren't as concerning as they sound, but are often a really gross experience. Who would not panic if small gross worms were crawling out of their dog. An infestation of dog worms can make your dog very uncomfortable but the good news is that it is very easy to treat using anti-parasitic medicine. Below is a list of the most commonly found worms in dogs.

Dog worm - Roundworms

Typically adult dogs are not infected, but the female dog's tissue may still have roundworm encysted larvae in it. When a female dog becomes pregnant the puppy fetus can immediately get infected with the dog worm. If you give a pregnant dog medicine to treat the parasites, it will not only help the pregnant dog, but will also cure any puppies when they are born too. Roundworms can cause coughing, gagging, and the appearance of worms in a puppy's stool or vomit. Seek help from your veterinarian for a severe infestation as this can be fatal to young dogs if the correct medication is not administered in a timely manner.

Dog worm - Hookworms

Puppies can be infected with hookworms through their mother's milk if the mother has come in contact with the larvae in contaminated soil. The hookworm parasite is tiny and narrow and it latches on the small intestine's inside and sucks blood from the host. Symptoms such as weight loss, gradual weakness, loose bowels, and anemia are all symptoms of this worm infestation in dogs. A microscopic exam of the feces by the veterinarian can confirm what the symptoms have been indicating. This is not usually a grave situation for a grown dog, but these worms can kill young puppies if the condition is not treated promptly.

Dog worm - Tapeworms

Sometimes eating infected fleas will give a dog tapeworms. The worms attach themselves to the dog's intestinal wall and begin to grow, nourishing itself through the foods your dog consumes day to day. The tapeworm got its name because segments of the worm show up in the dog's stool and they resemble pieces of tape. Eggs sacks resembling rice can be found also in the excrement or attached to the dog's rectum hairs. Your dog may scoot its butt around the floor because of the high level of anal irritation caused by the egg sacks. Talk to your dog's veterinarian for treatment options, this type of worm is able to survive many standard anti parasitic treatments.

Dog worm - Whipworms

It can be hard to detect whipworms in a dog but fortunately they are not dangerous if there is a mild infestation. A whipworm resembles fragments of string and one end is somewhat bigger, looking like a tiny whip. It connects itself to the beginning area of the dog's large intestine, also called the cecum. Though eggs might be lacking from the dogs stool, there is still a chance that the dog has worms. Contact your local veterinarian if you suspect this and they can run tests and advise you of what to do next.