Responsible dog owners should understand the consequences of worms in dogs and the potential harm they can cause to people too. Worms in dogs can cause ill health in both canines and humans: they are internal parasites.

Although worms in dogs do cause damage to their health, there are often no symptoms until the damage is already being done. Although worms in dogs are hard to spot, the symptoms to look out for are general loss of condition, sickness and diarrhoea.There are two types of worms in dogs: roundworms and tapeworms.

Roundworms

Roundworms can appear to be coiled in the shape of a spring, can grow to around 10cm in length and are pale white or beige coloured. You may be able to see them in your pet’s faeces or vomit. Roundworm larvae find their way into the dog’s body when they are ingested and adult worms then develop inside the dog’s body. The eggs are then passed out in faeces, allowing the worm’s life cycle to be completed. The most common form of roundworm, Toxocare Canis, sadly affects the health of people, and notably children. If children eggs through contact with, for example, contaminated soil, the resulting larvae can move through their bodies. Should the larvae reach the eyes, they have the potential to cause serious damage to the eyesight. This is one of the main reasons why dog owners should always pick up after their pet.

Tapeworms

You may be able to see evidence of tapeworms in your dog’s faeces or around his anus: they look like flat segments filled with what look like moving grains of rice but are actually eggs. Dogs become infected with tapeworms when they swallow fleas whilst grooming because fleas carry tapeworm larvae. Inside the dog, tapeworms can grow as long as 5m.

With worms in dogs, as with many conditions, it is true that prevention is better than cure. You should make sure that your dog is wormed every three months. Worming should be carried out even more regularly than that in young puppies. You can buy effective worming medication from both pet shops and the vet’s surgery: your vet will be able to advise you which is best.

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