How to Check for Worms in a Dog

Dogs are subject to a variety of different parasites that can cause health problems. Unfortunately, most dogs will get some type of worm in their lifetime and dogs that live on farms may need de-worming twice a year. Some worms are relatively harmless while other varieties can be fatal. Check your dog for worms as recommended by an animal healthcare expert.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Watch for the symptoms of worm infestation in your dog. Although some parasites can survive in your dog with few symptoms, most infestations will include weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, dry fur and a general feeling of lethargy. Any of these symptoms that persist should be a healthcare concern.

2. Take a stool sample to your veterinarian for analysis. The presence of intestinal parasites is determined by checking for eggs and larvae in your dog's feces. Alternately, inspect the stool on the ground immediately after your dog defecates. With a heavy infestation of whipworms, the parasites are present in the fresh stool, appearing as white thread-like specimens about an inch in length.

3. Check the fur under your dog's tail for signs of tapeworm infestation. Tapeworms are narrow but can grow up to 5 inches in length. The end of a tapeworm consists of rice-size segments that hold the eggs. When your dog passes a stool, the segments break off and often adhere to the fur around his anus. A dog with tapeworms needs de-worming.

4. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for hookworm testing. Passed to the newborns through the uterus before birth or through the mother's milk during nursing, these worms attach to the inner lining of the intestine and feed upon the puppy's blood. A heavy infestation can kill a small puppy.

5. Listen to your dog's cough when roundworms are present. Often, puppies are born infected with roundworms as they pass through the mother's tissue and into the developing puppy fetus. As the parasites work their way into the lungs, the dog coughs them up, then swallows them. A dog with a roundworm infestation will exhibit severe dry coughing as he attempts to rid his lungs of the parasites.

6. Get a blood test performed on your dog to identify a heartworm infestation. Heartworms, often spread by mosquito bites, may also pass from a mother dog to her unborn puppies. They live in the heart muscle and cause damage to the heart and lungs, resulting in death if not treated. Heartworm treatment is extensive and can have negative side effects.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your dog checked regularly by an animal healthcare professional for worm infestation and follow the recommended schedule for de-worming.
• Follow your vet's recommendations for preventing heartworms.

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