Parasites are nasty business and your dog can pick them up anywhere. This includes on walks, from their food and interacting with other animals. Even with taking precautionary measures, it is always good to participate in regular deworming as well. Below is a list of some of the more common worms that dogs can pick up and the best ways to treat them.

Roundworms

These little worms like to live in your dog’s digestive tract and feed off of their intestines. Sounds nasty right? Well it gets worse. Sometimes called the spaghetti worm, these parasites are white worms and can sometimes grow up to a few inches long. Most owners end up noticing these worms in their dogs excrement.

Not all dogs will show symptoms if they have roundworms but in the ones that do, you will usually see:

• Distended belly
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Worms in feces
  

The most common way that dogs get roundworms is through their environment. They usually get it by sniffing or eating another animal’s poop that has shed the eggs in their feces. Puppies are also at risk from getting it from their mother’s milk if they were previously infected.

The most effective way to treat and prevent roundworms is by using a dewormer. These include veterinary drugs like fenbendazole, milbemycin, moxidectin, piperazine, and pyrantel. Follow up doses are usually recommended. Puppies should get their first dose of dewormer around 2-3 weeks of age, while adults usually require a dewormer twice per year.

Hookworms

Continuing on the intestinal parasite path, are hookworms. These parasites can be fatal to dogs, especially puppies, as they feed off of the intestinal blood supply. If left untreated for too long, hookworms can actually cause your dog to become anemic. 

A few symptoms of dogs with hookworms are:

• Poor appetite
• Pale linings of the gums and ears
• Cough 
• Diarrhea 
  

Dogs will contract the parasites in a similar manner as roundworms, either through the environment or their mothers. However, the best way to treat hookworms is through heartworm medication like ivermectin, which should be given annually.

Whipworms

Whipworms live in the large intestine, feeding off the dogs bowel and blood supply. While some dogs may be asymptomatic, a few signs that your dog may have whipworms include:

• Bloody diarrhea
• Anemia
• Dehydration
• Weight loss
  

Whipworms are usually picked up by your dog ingesting or sniffing contaminated matter in its environment. Diagnosed through a fecal float test, treatment for whipworms include a prescription dewormer from your veterinarian.

Tapeworms

Lastly, we have tapeworms. Tapeworms are a relatively well known parasite, found in humans as well as animals. While there are different types of tapeworms, dogs usually pick them up by swallowing an infected flea during grooming. The larvae inside the flea then infects the dog’s intestinal tract. 

Like something out of a nightmare, these worms can grow from 4-8 inches long. Fear not though, for as far as worms are concerned, tapeworms are one of the relatively low risk ones. A few signs your dog has tapeworms might be:

• Scooting their butt on the floor
• Visibly seeing the worms in their fecal matter 
• Vomiting (rare)
• Weight loss (rare)
  

Relatively easy to get rid of, tapeworms can be eradicated using a tapeworm dewormer, usually called praziquantel.

Take home message

Parasitic worms are a pretty common occurrence in companion animals and are relatively easy to get rid of. The best preventative measures for deworming include ensuring a clean, sanitized environment for your dog and providing regular deworming with help from your veterinarian.