Worms in dogs

Dogs can unfortunately suffer from worms. As puppies, they are already infected in the womb. Worms are not easily noticed in dogs, but they can cause health problems. On this page, you can read more about the different types of worms and worm control.

How does a dog get worms?

Infection with worms can occur through contact with faeces of an infected animal, through an intermediate host (e.g. a flea, raw meat or eating a wild animal) and through breast milk. We ourselves can also carry worm eggs into our houses unnoticed under our shoes. Dogs with a less functioning immune systems, such as puppies, ill or senior dogs, are at greater risk of worm infection than healthy adult dogs.

What are symptoms of a dog infected by worms?

Are you worried that, despite your good care, your dog or puppy has become infected with worms? Then check your dog for the following symptoms:

• Bloated belly
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea or bits of worms in faeces or around the anus
• Coughing and/or vomiting
• Weight loss
• Listlessness
• Itching on the behind

Do you recognise the above symptoms in your dog? Contact us and we will check whether there is indeed a worm infection. We will then advise you on the right treatment.

Deworming your dog

Deworming is part of the lifelong preventive care of your dog. Some dog owners think they’ll notice if their dog gets infected. But you really don’t want to take that risk: an infection is many times more unpleasant (and dangerous) than a preventive worming treatment.

Dog preventive deworming

A worming cure prevents your dog from becoming infected with parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms, ringworms and hookworms. If you do not give a deworming cure, your dog can contract nasty infections. By the way, this is not only true for your pet, but it can also be very unpleasant for yourself and your children.

For any (dog) infection, preventing is better than curing.

How often should you deworm your dog?

The schedule for deworming depends on the age of your dog. For example, you should treat a puppy more often than an adult dog. You can follow the deworming schedule below:

Deworming medicine for your dog

There are several types of deworming medicine available for sale. Deworming tablets are most commonly used, you can easily mix them into their food. Often these come with a nice flavour. Does your dog not swallow these tablets? Then you can also use a deworming paste or administer the treatment with a pipette. Make sure you give the right amount of the product to your dog. This depends on your dog’s weight. Our nurses will help you with this.

Why is deworming your dog so important?

As mentioned earlier, regular deworming is important not only for your pet’s health, but also for public health. Besides the fact that worms can cause various health problems to your dog, you as a human can also get infected by your dog. Also, dogs suffering from worms can infect the environment, which can cause other people and children to contract it as well.

In addition, did you know that:

• Pups can suffer severe growth retardation due to a worm infection, often causing permanent damage?
• A dog’s immune system is lowered by a worm infestation, making it more susceptible to other diseases?

What are the side effects of deworming?

Deworming medicines are generally safe. In rare cases, dogs may experience side effects, such as:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Skin complaints
• Drowsiness

Before use, read the information leaflet carefully and report any side effect to the appropriate authorities, and contact your vet if your dog suffers from any of these side effects.

Some dog breeds, such as Collies, the Australian Cattle dog, Shepherds or dogs of related breeds, can be hypersensitive to certain anthelmintics. This is due to the MDR1 mutation. Ask your vet about this for more information.

Fecal worms test

At De Dierenkliniek, we believe that preventive care is very important, but also tailor-made care! We definitely recommend preventive deworming, but it is also possible to first do an examination to see whether your dog already needs deworming. This can be done through a stool test at our practice. We examine the faeces for worm eggs by the flotation method. If no worm eggs can be found in the faeces, you can postpone giving deworming.

Combine deworming with de-fleaing

An infection with worms in your dog can be caused by a host. A common host is the flea. Treating against fleas is therefore at least as important as de-worming.

Deworming when traveling

Are you going abroad with your dog? Big chance that your dog needs extra or a different type of deworming. In certain areas of Europe, worms occur that can have major consequences for your dog’s health, for example, the heartworm, the fox tapeworm and the lung worm. Be prepared for this if you are taking your dog abroad by treating him or her with the proper medication.

Please contact our clinics for more information. We can give you a personalised travel advice.