How to Know What Kind of Worms Your Pet Has

While worms can make your pet sick and can pose a health hazard for your family, treating them is relatively simple once you've identified the culprit. The information below will assist you with that task and help you seek safe and effective treatment for your pet.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Collect a small, fresh fecal specimen and place it in a plastic bag or airtight container.
2. Take the specimen to your veterinarian and request an examination for intestinal parasites. You may also need to bring your pet in with you; call first to find out.
3. Get information about different types of worms from your family veterinarian. Parasite risk varies with the type of pet, the locale and whether the pet lives inside or outdoors.
4. Check the hair and skin around the anus, or the stool itself, for evidence of tapeworm segments, which are short (1/4 inch), flat and whitish-tan. These are pieces of the tapeworm, and they move when first passed; when dry, they resemble grains of rice.
5. They contain tapeworm eggs, which will be ingested by flea larvae, rodents or birds to complete the tapeworm life cycle.
6. Suspect roundworms if you observe round, yellowish-white worms, 2 to 3 inches long and pointed on the ends, coiled in your pet's stool or vomit.
7. Keep in mind that although roundworms are easy to see when passed, they usually are not passed, so in general, you will not see them - they will be diagnosed in the laboratory.
8. Understand that while roundworms are most common in puppies and kittens, they are found in pets of all ages and all types, including reptiles, birds and pocket pets.
9. Be aware that diagnosing hookworm, lungworm or whipworm requires microscopic examination of the pet's stool, and diagnosis of heartworm requires a blood test.
10. Administer medication only as directed by your veterinarian. Medication developed to eliminate worms is specific for each type of worm and for each species of pet.

Tips & Warnings

• "Ringworm" is not really a worm but a dermatophyte or fungal infection on the skin and hair.
• Cats and dogs do not get pinworms; kids and horses do.
• When a dog or cat scoots his butt on the floor, it is usually not an indication that he has worms, but generally signals a problem with his anal sacs. These are scent glands located near the anus, and this should prompt a call to your veterinarian.
• You may see fly larvae, or maggots, on stools in the yard or on old food. These are not the same as worms from your pet.
• Some worms, like roundworm and hookworm, are transmissible from pets to people. All pets should be checked by a veterinarian at least once a year and given worm medication as directed to eliminate this potential health hazard.