What are the Causes of Worms in Dogs

If your dog is a puppy, chances are that you have at least heard about the dangers that worms can pose to their well-being. Worms are a prevalent affliction for dogs, specifically those under six to e...

If your dog is a puppy, chances are that you have at least heard about the dangers that worms can pose to their well-being. Worms are a prevalent affliction for dogs, specifically those under six to eight months of age. They are as prevalent as flea bites and just as easy to eliminate, if not simpler - if you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing and you are a first time dog owner, that is okay too; your vet should know all that you don't know about worms and how to take care of the problem. Just in case, here are the essentials and causes of worms in dogs.

Roundworms

Roundworms are the worms that are most commonly found in pups, and they are easy to eliminate. Usually, you can buy a treatment for roundworms that is given to your dog orally; they will release the worms through their excrement, dead later on. Puppies who suffer from roundworms tend to have round, big bellies even if they haven't eaten all day and the pot-belly problem can get increasingly worse as these worms can grow up to seven inches or more in length. The causes of worms in dogs as far as roundworms are concerned are in the soil; these worms can lay eggs that are surrounded by a hard shell. The eggs come out in a dog's excrement and can live in the soil for as long as it takes for them to be ingested. Once the dog eats the soil, the worm larvae travels up the dog's throat, subsequently landing in the intestine where they grow unless they are destroyed. Besides soil contamination, mother dogs can transfer roundworms to their puppies during pregnancy.

Hookworms

Hookworms are another type of commonly found parasitic worm. The causes of worms in dogs of this type are highly similar to roundworms. Like roundworms, they can come into contact with dogs through pregnancy or infected soil. This is a type of parasite that is commonly found in puppies and if left untreated, it can kill a puppy so it is important to make sure that puppies are dewormed, even if you are unsure whether or not they are infected.

These are just a few of the numerous different types of parasitic worms that can harm your dog. If you suspect that your dog is infected with worms, the best thing that you can do for him or her is to take them to the veterinarian. Deworming services are fairly cheap and a stool check and standard deworming is usually part of the routine checkup for younger dogs. Be sure to clean up your dog's excrement from the yard as often as possible and consult your vet if you are in doubt. While they can infect adults and even people, these types of worms are more prevalent in dogs and can kill if not treated correctly.

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