what are the signs that a dog has worms?

Question

my dog is 4 not on medicine and he is having problems defacating then he will run his butt along the floor

Answer 1

Worms and Your Dog


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Parasitic worms are as common as fleas to dogs and, especially, to puppies. From the half-inch- long hookworms to the flat, segmented tapeworms that can reach three feet in length, But in most cases, worm detection is easy and treatment is effective.

However, ignoring possible symptoms and necessary treatments can lead to serious illnesses and sometimes even the death of your dog, as well as the possible transmission of a worm infection to both you or your children.

The most common worms to dogs in the United States are the roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm, and hookworm - which live primarily in the dog's intestine and the heartworm, which lives within the heart and in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs.

The roundworm known as Toxocara canis is the most common, and puppies are often born with an infection. In the mother dog, the resting round- worm larvae are activated by hormones during pregnancy, and the larvae then cross the placenta to infect the unborn puppies. Less commonly, the larvae are carried in the mother's milk into the newborn puppies.

Within a few weeks after birth, puppies who were born with roundworm larvae will discharge roundworms eggs in their feces. The mother dog then reinfects herself by ingesting the eggs when she licks her puppies clean.

Intestinal parasites are also transmitted to your pets by other animals contaminating the soil. The infected animal will defecate the worm or the eggs. These eggs will then develop into a microscopic larvae. The larvae will then attach itself to your pet's paws and migrate through the body, eventually ending up in the intestine of your pet. Tape worm is transmitted by the ingestion of fleas or the ingestion of infected rodents.

As stated earlier, treatment is doubly important because worms can be transmitted to people. These include certain species of tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and some other, less common types of parasites. The same larvae infecting your pet can migrate into a person and cause either a skin infection or in some cases an internal infection to the liver. This disease is called visceral larval migrans. This is why we recommend deworming all puppies, even if the fecal analysis is negative, and request regular stool examinations.

While the three-inch adult roundworms are usually a minor problem for adult dogs, a serious infection of roundworms or hookworms can be life threatening to a puppy because of blood and protein loss, or dehydration. Hookworms present a far more serious threat to both the mother and puppies. These are blood sucking parasites and will cause a severe anemia and if not promptly treated death. We recommend stool examinations on all puppies at 6-8 weeks of age.

In many cases, a dog owner will note the signs of worm infection, or it will be detected during a regular checkup when your veterinarian does a microscopic exam of your dog's stool sample. Heartworm detection requires a blood test. Your veterinarian can easily make a specific diagnosis and begin effective worm treatments that usually cause little discomfort to your dog. Heartworm treatment is an exception. It is dangerous and risky to treat for adult heartworm, even with the new adulticide. To prevent heartworm infection, your dog should be treated with preventive medications prescribed by your veterinarian. At Columbia Veterinary Associates, we recommend year round heartworm preventative treatment .

Minor worm infections can be of little significance, but nearly all these parasites will induce serious disease if present in overwhelming numbers. Many dogs have various levels of immunity, or at least some resistance to many worm species. It is not unusual for a normal adult dog to have small populations of adult roundworms and hookworms, as well as resting larvae, in body tissues. However, if your dog is stressed, the larvae can be stimulated to develop into a large, threatening population in the dog's intestines. The stress can be triggered by traveling, malnutrition, medications such as corticosteroids, or other infection. The growing population of parasites could then absorb more nutrients, draw the host's body fluids (such as blood or lymph), cause anemia by destroying red blood cells, destroy tissue, trigger inflammatory reactions, or cause other complex responses.

Not all gastrointestinal signs, such as diarrhea are caused by worms. A change in your dog's appetite or bowel habits may result from causes other than a worm infection, or a worm infection may be minor and possibly be kept in check by your dog's immune system.

Use deworming medication as your veterinarian directs, since misuse can be wasteful and even harmful. One risk from an unnecessary or inappropriate treatment is that some internal parasites can develop resistance to some treatments, making the drugs less effective later when they may be needed.

While there are over-the-counter worm medicines, their common use can result in a drug being applied to the wrong parasite, which may leave the real threat undiminished. An observant dog owner can recognize adult roundworms in vomit or stool, and can see whitish tapeworm segments in stool. These are about as big as a rice grain, and can crawl - even on your dog's fur! Because infected dogs also often shed microscopic worm eggs, the best advice is to have the dog screened by a veterinarian.



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Common Signs of Worm Infections

Some of the common signs of worm infections are listed below, but these may also be symptoms of other illnesses. When ever your pet is acting ill, we always recommend an examination of your pet and an analysis of a fecal sample.


A change in your dog's appetite, a distended abdomen in puppies, coughing of hiccupping resulting from the coughing up of worm larvae emerging from the lungs. Weight loss, weakness, a dull coat, vomiting or diarrhea observing the worms-either round worm, which looks like spaghetti, or tapeworm segments that look like grains of rice in the stool or on the fur.
Exercise intolerance, due to heartworm.


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Steps to Prevent Worm Infections:

Have your veterinarian screen your dog for worms twice a year - and more often if your dog is at high risk of a worm infection. Examples of high risk pets are those animals living in crowded urban areas, show pets, hunting dogs, and multiple pet households. Worm your dogs only under a veterinarian's guidance. The newer heartworm preventatives are also effective against some of the major intestinal parasites- round worm, hookworm, and whipworm, as well as heartworm.

Control fleas, which can carry certain tape- worms. These tapeworms can be transmitted to dogs or people who accidentally swallow an infected flea

Prevent your dog from eating animal carcasses, such as rabbits and rodents, which may contain immature tape worms that will mature in your dog

Maintain good hygiene. For instance, whipworm and roundworm eggs dropped to the soil in your dog's feces can remain infectious for years, while hook worm larvae can accumulate in the earth of a dog run. All can reinfect your dog. Rapid removal of feces is important. Pave over your dog run. This is much safer than having a soil or gravel surface in which worms can survive.

Answer 2

You usually don't know until the later stages unless you take your dog to the vet and have her tested yearly. Most vets do this when the dog is on preventative. Coughing is usually the first thing you notice, then lack of energy. Heartworms infest the heart and cause it to have to pump harder to get the job done. That eventually leads to an enlarged heart and reduced lung function. Detecting heartworm diease is a simple blood test that will take your vet all of 5 minutes. As far as dragging her butt across the rug, that may be worms but not heartworms. It could also mean that her anal glands are bothering her. Again, that is something to tell your vet. If your dog has heartworms it is a a series of 2-3 shots spaced out over a few months. And then monthly heartworm preventative. If it is some other kind of worm your vet will give her some medicine that will clear that up and recommend a monthly product that will treat heartworms as well as severl other common parasites.

Answer 3

Sometimes there are no signs at all of worms..and worms are NOT always visible in stool..a fecal sample needs to be taken to the vet and a test done to determine if there are indeed parasites and if so get the proper dewormer in the proper dosage.
The symptoms you describe could very well be that of an anal sac issue...Please take your dog to the vet and also take along with a stool sample.

Answer 4

Usually most people cant tell their puppy has worms. Most pups dont show any signs, however the signs would be scooting their rear end across the floor (of course this could be anal gland problems too.), their coat is rough looking, they dont gain weight even though they are being fed the right amount. The best way to tell if your dog has worms is to have its poop sample checked at the vet. If it does have worms it will be given medication.
Most older dogs dont get worms, but they can if they eat feces from a contaminated dog. Puppies are generally the main carrier of internal parasites.

Answer 5

If you have not used Frontline or another flea medication on him he most likely has fleas and roundworms go along with that. Also a dog who is scraping his butt on the floor is itching most likely from worms. Get him to the vet to be sure.

Answer 6

Rubbing it's butt along the carpet is a very likely sign

Answer 7

Eating, but losing weight, sometimes diarrhea, or rubbing their bottom on the floor. Sometimes when they "poop", you can actually see the worms in their waste, depending on what type of worm it is.

Answer 8

rubbing behind on the ground , sometimes dirreah, vomiting if severly infested and white or pale colored gums
here's a website to tell you all about worms and worm types in dogs

http://www.debbiejensen.com/worms.html

Answer 9

LOOSE STOOLS AND IRRITATED BEHIND, ALSO CHECK THE STOOLS FOR WORMS, TRUST ME THEY R VISIBLE..U SHOULD HAVE HIM ON A DEWORMER R SOME TYPE OF PREVENTATIVE MEDS FOR THIS, MY DOGS TAKES THE HEARTWORMER PILL ONCE A MONTH...

Answer 10

Worms in the poop

Answer 11

it usually rubs its behind against the carpet or anywhere it can.looks very funny but it's not