Dog Worms Learning Their Symptoms and Identification

Dog worms affect millions of dogs each year both in adult dogs and puppies. The worms can be found both in the bloodstream and the intestinal tracts and are commonly inherited from the mother dog to the puppy most likely while the puppies are nursing.

Older dogs generally contract worms from other dog's feces. Even areas that the feces has been cleaned up but not properly sanitized and treated the worm eggs can still survive and infect or reinfect your dog.

Worms are a very common affliction in dogs and there are various sizes, shapes and types. Fortunately each individual type of worm or parasite has it's own characteristics that allows for dog owners to identify the specific worm type. Each specific type will symptomatically affect your dog differently, as well as, the differences in sizes and shapes of the actual parasite.

1. Roundworms – These are the most common of dog worm infestations. These are most commonly passed from mother to puppy before their birth or during breastfeeding. Infected puppies will appear to have a pot bellied appearance and any dog left untreated will quickly become severely infested They will even block the intestines with the enormous amount of eggs they lay which can lead to death.

   Roundworms have a spaghetti type appearance and are sticky to the touch. This is why it's easy for them to transfer between dogs and their humans. If you are up for it, you can closely inspect their stools or vomit under a microscope and easily detect roundworms.



2. Tapeworms - These worms have a head and then many segments that is the size of a grain of rice. You will likely see what appear to be small pieces of this near your dog's anus in the hair. The eggs of what appears to be a grain of rice, also known as Cestodes.
3. Flatworms or Hookworms – These worms hook themselves inside of your dog's intestinal tract, as well as, their lungs and liver and feed on blood from the blood in the walls. They cannot be seen without a stool sample and microscope. Hookworms are similar to roundworms as they are intestinal parasites.
4. Whip worm - Are worms that live in your pups colon and can't be seen with out a microscope. The feed off of the intestinal walls and cause other ailments and symptoms such as diarrhea.
5. Heart worm – The heart worm is often the most commonly know worm but also the most serious of the worms. It is passed through mosquitoes from one dog to another. It is called the heart worm because it plants itself in the heart and arteries which causes the heart to enlarge and will eventually lead to heart failure.

There are additional worm symptoms and side effects that worms and additional parasites can cause and lead to additional health issues.

• Roundworms can cause nausea and appetite loss and anemia. Roundworms can also lead to more serious health issues such as pneumonia, diarrhea and dehydration from severe vomiting.
• Tapeworm symptoms begin with itching around the anus, along with stomach pain and itching and weight loss.


• Flatworms or Hookworms the symptoms in dogs are anemia and even death and can be sometimes seen in the stools. However, in people, the worms get underneath the skin causing you to itch and form a rash with a worm shape.
• Whip-worm symptoms include bloody diarrhea, gas, weight loss and anemia.
• Heart-worm symptoms of the heart worm include weight loss, coughing as well as a potbellied appearance.

It doesn't matter what type of worms or parasite your dog may be suffering from, the important fact is that using preventative treatments is by far the better choice for both you and your precious pup health wise and happiness wise.

There are multiple medication and natural treatments available now for dog worms and even some supplements that are available that are added to their daily food and meant to cause them to naturally expel the worms through their bowel movements. I would recommend checking with your vet first.

Some of the more common medications are items such as Interceptor which will kill roundworms, hookworms and whip worms eggs. There is of course Heart guard which has been around forever and I used to treat heart worms, roundworms and hookworms eggs. These are just a couple of available worming medications.

When they get the eggs from the worms on their hands and then put their hands in their mouths, they ingest the eggs which then result in worms. Hookworms on the other hand burrow through the skin and leave red like spots on the top of the skin.

wormed on a regular basis both you and your furry friend should follow these procedures:

1. Treat every new puppy 10 – 14 days after birth and adult dogs every three to four months.
2. As stated above it's important to treat puppies as they are almost always infected by their nursing mothers if they have not been treated. After a couple weeks you will need to treat them again at two week intervals for a total of three times for complete coverage.
3. Clean up and dispose of all dog and puppy feces to keep the living area sanitary and feces free.
4. ALWAYS wash your hands thoroughly after handling your pampered pup.
5. Keep your dog treated for fleas and ticks year round.
6. Adult dogs need to be treated for dog worms approximately every three months.
7. Adult dogs need to be tested for heart worms and then be given a prescription from a licensed veterinarian for heart worm medication. A dog should never be given heart worm medication before being tested first as it could kill them.

Do you treat your precious pup for dog worms? Do you have a dog worm treatment plan? Do you know how to identify the symptoms and treat dog worms? Learn how important a dog worm prevention plan is to your dog's health.

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