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.

The hookworms are like round worms in that they are an intestinal parasite. The hookworm however is smaller and feeds on blood from the intestinal wall. Since their diet is blood, the hookworm can cause anemia and occasionally death in dogs. There are few symptoms of hookworm and they will not be visible in stool or vomit. To determine an infestation, you must see your vet who will do a stool analysis. Although this is another parasite that can be passed to humans it will not cause the same problems in humans as in canines. In humans, the worm cannot penetrate much deeper than just under the skin, this causes 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.

The heartworm is the most serious dog worm. It is passed through the mosquito. If you want your pooch to be heartworm free, you must seek prevention. People who should worry about this will live in warm, damp climates and will have a heavy mosquito population. If your dog becomes infected, there are a few treatment options available. Most of them amount to giving your canine limited doses of arsenic which can kill your pet. The heartworm will make its haven in the heart and its arteries causing it to enlarge and eventually fail. dog worms symptoms of the heartworm include coughing, weight loss and a potbellied appearance. No matter what kind of worm you may be dealing with, seek natural advice or that of your vet. Be proactive for better canine health. Your dog will give you a big lick in appreciation!

Dog worms are common in dogs. Dog worms symptoms depend upon the type of dog worms that are present in your dog. Of all the types of dog worms, heartworm is the most serious, but all types of canine worms can make your dog sick. Discover how to prevent dog worm symptoms by preventing the worms.