Author: Kelly Marshall
There are many different ways that dogs and puppies can get
worms. Since most worms are species specific they will only be
transferred from dogs to dogs, and cannot be passed to other
pets or family members. Some parasites can be transferred
between different species of animals and even humans, but these
are very rare, especially if the pet owner routinely worms the
dog to prevent any possible infections.
The biggest source of contamination or infection of worms or
other parasites for dogs is other dogs. This can occur if your
dog is playing with other dogs that have worms, sharing the
same toys or eating from the same dish. Dogs can also get worms
from eating or playing with fecal material from infected dogs.
This is a very common source of infection especially if the dog
is allowed to run outside the yard or plays in a puppy park or
other area where there are many dogs.
There are four types of worms that can infect your dog or
puppy. They are roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms and hookworms.
Roundworms and tapeworms can often be seen in the fecal material
or around the dog's anus in the hair. Whipworms and hookworms
are usually too small to be seen by the eye, but are evident to
the veterinarian when a stool sample is examined. Tapeworms are
rarely seen as entire worms but rather small segments of the
worm may be noted. They are while in color and are somewhat
flattened in shape and appearance. Roundworms are long,
relatively slender and look more like very small earthworms. If
they have been out of the dog's body for even a short period of
time they may have a yellow color rather than being white.
Roundworms
Many puppies are actually born with roundworm infestations.
Since young puppies cannot be wormed until they reach a certain
age it is very important to make sure that the mother has been
kept worm free to avoid passing on the contamination to her
puppies. Round worms eggs can be found in the milk of the
mother dog if she is infected. This then passes the worm eggs
on to the puppies. The worms live in the intestines of the
puppies and constantly lay eggs, up to 200 per day. Some of the
eggs are eliminated through the fecal material while still
others are able to stay within the digestive tract. Once the
eggs hatch they move through the body to the lungs where they
irritate the tissue until the puppy or dog coughs. Once the dog
coughs the larva are expelled from the lungs into the mouth,
where they are swallowed and move down through the digestive
tract. This cycle continues with the number of worms
dramatically increasing. Severe infestations result in a pot
bellied appearance, severe cough, and can eventually lead to
death if the intestines become blocked with worms. A full-grown
roundworm can reach up to five inches in length.
Whipworms and Hookworms
Of the two hookworms are by far the most serious and can lead
to anemia and even death in dogs as these intestinal worms feed
off the blood of the dog. Whipworms are not as serious but often
cause lethargic behavior in dogs and are often a problem with
dogs that are kenneled or boarded in facilities where there are
many dogs in one area.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are problematic because they can affect a dog's
overall health and can be passed to various species, especially
other dogs and cats. Fleas can pass on tapeworm eggs, so keeping
your pet free from fleas is important. Often dogs that hunt
rodents and small wild animals are at greatest risk for
tapeworms. Tapeworms may be noted as dried up looking rice
grains sticking to the fur around the dog's anus. Tapeworms are
difficult to treat and over the counter medications for worming
will not kill the worms within the dog.
Routine worming at the vets is the best way to control worm
problems in your dog. Over the counter worming products rarely
work and may simply give the owner a false sense of security
when it comes to the health of their pet.
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