One of the most common ailments in dogs is worm infestations. Worms are parasites that live inside the animal and cause different problems, depending on the type of worm your pet has. Generally, there are five major types of worms, roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, whipworm and the dreaded heartworm. All of these can cause light to serious complications and should never be left untreated. First, let’s look at the different types of parasite and what they do.

The most common infestation is the roundworm. This parasite usually passes to puppies from their mothers either before birth or while she is breastfeeding. These worms can be passed to humans. In dogs, the roundworm causes weight loss and a potbellied appearance. These worms will swiftly multiply if left untreated. An adult female roundworm may lay as many as 200,000 eggs a day for a year. This may lead to an obstruction in the canine’s intestinal tract and may lead to death. You should treat your pets with a regular regimen of de-wormer starting when pups are weaned. There are natural as well as commercial treatments available.

Hookworms are similar to roundworms as they are intestinal parasites. The hookworm is smaller and feeds on blood from the intestinal wall. Hookworm dog worms symptoms are anemia and even death. Some symptoms may not be visible in the stool or vomit. To determine if an infestation is present, you must take a stool specimen to your vet to be analyzed. The hookworm can be passed to humans but it does not cause the same problems as in dogs. In humans, the worm penetrates under the skin causing an itchy rash with a worm like appearance.

The tapeworm is long and flat and resembles a piece of tape. It is spread to dogs by the ingestion of an infected flea. For example, the flea feeds off of an infected animal and picks up the tapeworm egg. While grooming itself, your dog eats the flea. dog worms symptoms of the tapeworm include itching, especially around the anus, abdominal pain, itching, vomiting and weight loss. If any of these symptoms appear, get you dog checked out by your vet.

Whipworms live in the dog’s colon and are not viewable by the naked eye. They feed off the dog’s intestinal wall and cause many ailments. dog worms symptoms of the whipworm include weight loss, diarrhea which contains mucous or blood, anemia and flatulence. The whipworm is the hardest to get rid of but there are both natural and pharmaceutical treatments available. Our dog, Lucy, not only had parvovirus but was also infected with whipworms. She was treated with an oral medication.

Finally, the most serious of dog worms is the heartworm. This worm is passed from one animal to another through the mosquito. The key to survival of heartworms is prevention. People who live in warm damp climates that are prone to heavy mosquito activity should especially be concerned, and take precautionary measures. Once infected there are few good treatment options, most include giving the animal limited doses of arsenic, the treatment alone can kill the dog. The infection is so serious because the heartworm takes up residence in the heart and arteries to the heart causing it to enlarge and eventually fail. Symptoms can include coughing, weight loss and a potbellied appearance much like other dog worms symptoms. No matter which type of parasite you think you may be dealing with get some help either veterinarian or natural but be pro active for better canine health.

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