Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms are the most common type of wiggly parasite your dog can encounter; there is heartworm as well, a potentially serious condition caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito. Intestinal worms may be visible in your dog’s stool, appearing as squiggly spaghetti-like forms or rice-like bodies. If your dog is infested with worms chronically, they may begin to lose weight and their hair coat may suffer. Additional symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and an itchy rectum, which may cause your dog to bum scoot or lick their hind end.
Unfortunately, worms are relatively common in dogs. A dog with worms isn’t dirty or uncared for, and having a dog that has contracted these nasty pests doesn’t mean that you are a bad pet parent.What it does mean is that it is most likely that your dog picked up the infection at the dog park, while on a walk through the forest, or even through the simple act of eating infected soil.
Determining what type of worm your dog has can be achieved by taking a fresh stool sample to your veterinarian for analysis. Your veterinarian can prescribe medication to safely eradicate the worms. Doing so is a necessary step because leaving the worm infestation untreated can be detrimental to your furry buddy's health.
Once your vet has treated your dog with conventional therapy, you can take measures to help prevent another case of worms. These natural remedies may also be used concurrently with the prescribed medicine, but discuss the possibility of doing so to make sure there are no contraindications.
