The Worms That Reside Inside Your Dog

Worms are the most common form of intestinal parasites in dogs. There several kinds of them but the most common types to affect dogs are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. This types of worms are usually found living in your dog's digestive tract or intestines where they live by stealing the nutrients that pass through this tracts. Signs that your dog is infected by intestinal parasites are the following: weight loss, poor appearance, diarrhea, and vomiting.

There are several ways in which your dog could get affected with worms. One is through infected feces. Some kinds of worm pass their eggs through the dog's feces. Dog's who will then eat these fecal matter will get infected in return. So it is necessary to look after your dog, specially the younger ones, since they will be more inclined to eat dog feces. Second way is through fleas. The eggs of tapeworms are a delicacy to fleas and they eat and pass them to other dogs when they bite their hosts. Others, such as roundworms, lie dormant in the dog's body until immediately before giving birth. The eggs will hatch into worms and will make their way to the unborn puppies intestines, and live there when they are born.

It will be quite difficult for you to detect the presence of worms in your dogs intestines. Some, such as those who pass their eggs through your dog's feces, are quite easy to detect, but they are not common. If your dog exhibits some of the symptoms of worm infection, you can consult your vet about it. He will take some stool samples and examine them for the presence of any worm eggs or the presence of worms themselves. He will then recommend the proper "wormer" for your dog. The presence of tapeworms can be easily known because their discarded segments can be seen by the naked eye. They appear like tiny bits of rice that are attached to your dog's behind or under his tail. They can also sometimes be seen in your dog's feces.

To remove the worm infestation in your dog, your vet will recommend a wormer to be immediately used on your dog. It may need to be done repeatedly depending on the type of worm present, the severity of the infestation, and the chances of your dog becoming infected again with the parasite. Some wormers who are available over-the-counter may not be good enough for your dog as the are generally weaker in nature and may not be able to eliminate all the worms in yourdog.

The presence of worms in your dog's intestines may be quite a threat to him as it can cause even the death of your dog. You must therefore take preventive measures against it to lessen the possibility of your dog acquiring it.

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