Why are worms in my dog’s stool?

Today, there are several instances when guardians and pet owners choose to go to the vet with a plastic bag full of worms they found on the dog poop. Most of them come with plenty of questions, asking how the worms get in the dogs poop and what they should do thereafter. This brief will explain reasons why there are worms in dog poop and advise you the way forward.

You are likely to see worms in the dogs poop simply because the dog has intestinal worms which are life threatening. To the surprise of many pet owners most of the worms can be transferred to human beings and other pets. This is actually why it’s very important to act swiftly to curb the same. 

Most dog owners will only talk about roundworms and tapeworms. However, there are several other parasites that you should be talking about including whipworms and hookworms.

 

There are many symptoms to look for and worms in the stool are one of them. However, during the first few days after infection, you may never see any symptom. When signs are present, they will include blood tingled stool, variations in appetite, weight loss, rectal or abdominal discomfort, poor hair coat, mucus in stool and diarrhea.

Yes, you can see worms in the dog’s stool occasionally. In the dog stool, you may notice adult roundworms and hookworms. They actually appear as spaghetti shaped parasites that may appear small or large and eventually off-white to tan.

 

Roundworms and hookworms can actually infect human beings and other pets. 

On the other hand, tapeworms appear small and off-white to tan segments. They can be seen clinging to hair around the genital area and also in the tool. Fresh segments of tapeworms are white in shape and they may expand and contract. After drying, they resemble sesame seeds or even rice grains. 

Dogs get worms from other pets or even after birth from the mothers. They also get worms from fleas and rodents. Additionally, dogs get infected with worms after eating eggs from contaminated soil and stool. They may also eat infected rodents which can increase the chances of getting worms. 

If you have already noticed worms in your best friend’s stool, there are chances that the dog is in great suffering. This calls for deworming. You can get over the counter dewormers. However, some types of worms including tapeworms are not effectively treatable by OTC dewormers. What this means is that you should take your dog to the vet for examination and treatment. The vet will examine the stool and eventually look for an effective and reliable method of treatment. 

At home, ensure your dog doesn’t scavenge to reduce instances of getting worms from the soil or from rodents. You should as well spray to kill and control fleas. 

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