Dog Worms You Should Know About
There are many different types of dog worms that can affect dogs. The type of worm will determine how we treat them; each type has its unique characteristics.
Symptoms
If a dog has worms, it may show signs of:
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Weight loss
Vomiting
Poor coat appearances (including dullness and patchy hair loss)
Potbellied (when the abdomen protrudes)
Lethargy (tiredness)
Dehydration (lack of water)
Blood in stool
Type of dog worms
Roundworms
They are small (approximately 1/8 inch in diameter), white, and have a tendency to wriggle in the same direction as the hookworms.
The most common way for dogs to get infected with roundworms is through contact with the feces of an infected dog. The worms then migrate from the intestines to various parts of the body where they lay eggs, which are then passed out in the dog’s stool.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are the most common type of worm that dogs can get. They are long, flat worms with heads and mouths. Dogs can get tapeworms by eating rodents or by getting an infected flea.
Hookworms
Hookworms are parasites that live off the nutrients in a dog’s blood. Most canine hookworm species are ascarids, which are long and thin, so they can easily pass through the dog’s intestine into its bloodstream. Once there, they hang out and suck up all the good stuff.
Once in the blood, they have a choice of whether to go back to the intestine or to head into other organs like the liver.
It depends on where they’re most likely to find food—liver cells are rich in nutrients
So some ascarids will make their way back home (to the intestine), while others head deeper into the body. But regardless of where they start out, once inside their new digs, these worms continue to feed until they’re ready to mate and lay eggs.
Whipworms
Whipworms, also known as “threadworms,” are a type of parasite that infects the intestines of dogs. They can be contracted by simply being in contact with an infected dog’s feces, and they can live in a host for up to 20 years.