Though a fence will not prevent all parasitic infestations, fencing your dog can protect him from parasites. Car accidents and ingestion of toxic substances in garbage are other dangers that can be prevented by fencing your dog.

A dog that is not fenced may be at greater risk for hookworms if the dog goes to an area where a dog with hookworms has defecated. The hookworms could be present in the feces or ground around the feces. Hookworms can burrow through the skin of a dog to infect the dog.

Threadworms can be acquired through the skin by being near feces from infected animals as well. Threadworms cannot only be passed through feces of infected dogs, but also other carnivores. Fencing can protect the dog from being in contact with feces from infected dogs, cats, or wildlife.

A potentially dangerous parasite that can infect a dog that eats an infected animal is gnathostoma. After being ingested, the gnathostoma burrows through the dog’s stomach and travels around the dog’s body causing damage before returning to the stomach. This is another parasitic infection that’s risk is reduced by fencing since a dog fence keeps the dog isolated from most other animals.

Spirocerca lupi can be spread the same way as gnathostoma. If the dog eats an infected animal, spirocerca lupi lives in the dog’s stomach. Spirocerca lupi can cause cancer of the esophagus.

Whether the dog is fenced or not, the dog is at risk for certain parasites while the dog is outdoors. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes which cannot be stopped by dog fences.

Fleas and ticks may live in a fenced area, but the risk of fleas and ticks can be greatly reduced by a dog fence that keeps out the wildlife and other dogs that may carry ticks and fleas. The risk can be further reduced by spraying the fenced outdoor areas for ticks and fleas.

Another parasite that cannot be prevented by a dog’s fence is cuterebra. The cuterebra eggs may be found on rocks or in soil and may be ingested during grooming if they get on the dog’s fur. The skin of the dog may be penetrated by cuterebra larvae.