Because I cover a lot of info in this post, I thought I’d make it easier for you to skip to the parts you’re more interested in by adding some links below!
- Internal Parasites – Worms
- Symptoms of Worms in Your Dog
- Worming Products
- How Often to Worm Dogs
- Can My Kids Catch Worms??
- How Do I Know if My Kids Have Worms?
- How To Stop Worms Spreading
- How Threadworms Spread in Children
- Other Things to Help Control Worms
- Travelling Outside the UK
Internal Parasites – Worms
You might wonder why you should worm your dog; some people think that they never need to worm their dog as they keep a clean house – this isn’t the case. It doesn’t matter how clean you, your dog or your home is – your dog could still catch worms from elsewhere.
Worming your dog throughout its lifetime is important, and you should talk to your vet about a suitable worming programme for your puppy as soon as you can.
Regular worming not only protects your dog’s health but also helps to prevent the spread of infection and potential health risks to other animals and humans too.
Worm infections carried by your dog do not always display obvious symptoms, so an adequate treatment schedule is vital.
Dogs can appear healthy even when they have worms. Detecting an infection can be tricky, particularly as worm eggs are too small to be easily visible in your pet’s poop.
Your dog may be more at risk from some types of worm infections rather than others depending on where you live. It’s extremely important to keep your dog’s treatment regular and up to date.
Symptoms of Worms in Your Dog
Remember that not all worm infections will be obvious in your dog, so some general signs to look for include:
- the presence of visible worm segments that could stick to your dog’s bottom and become itchy. This can cause dogs to “scoot”, where they drag their bottoms along the ground with their back legs. Doing this also means that your dog will be rubbing its infected bottom on your floor or carpet, which is naturally unhygienic!
- weight loss
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- a dull, lifeless coat
- a change in appetite (it may be either increased or decreased depending on the worms present)
- a lack of energy
- a pot-bellied appearance (mostly seen in puppies)
- breathing difficulties and coughing
- general changes in behaviour
You should seek advice from your vet if you see any of the above signs in your dog. Many of these symptoms may be other illnesses. Your vet will be able to investigate the problem and provide appropriate advice and treatment.
Worming Products
There are a wide variety of worming products available from several different sources. Supermarkets, pet shops and your vet sell a variety of different worming methods for dogs of all ages and sizes.
These products vary in the worms they treat or prevent, how you administer the treatment (spot-on / injection / oral medication), dosage instructions and speed or duration of treatment.
How Often to Worm Dogs?
Most vets now recommend a monthly flea & worming treatment. So we follow their advice and give all of our dogs’ worming and flea treatment every month.
Always check with your vet before starting a worming regime. This way you can be confident that you are using the most appropriate products and following the best treatment for the needs of your dog and family.
Can My Kids Catch Worms??
Children are at increased risk of disease from worms; if you have a young family or your dog often meets children, you should stick to regular worming.
If one of your children get worms (God forbid), go to your GP and tell them as soon as you can. The GP can prescribe tablets or liquid medicine to get rid of the worms.
You can also get medicine from the chemist without seeing your GP now; make sure you tell them if you have a little one under 2 years old, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding – just so they can make sure you get the correct medicine.
Be aware that the worms may have passed on to other members of the family too, it will be best to treat the whole family just to be on the safe side.
How Do I Know if My Kids Have Worms?
Worms in children tend to present a lot like worms in dogs; if you have little ones in nappies it can be easier to tell as you might see worm eggs or actual worms in their dirty nappies.
Other symptoms your child might have include:
- extreme itching around the bum or genitals, especially at night
- irritability and waking up during the night
- weight loss
- wetting the bed
- irritated skin around the bum
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- a change in appetite (it may be either increased or decreased depending on the worms present)
- a lack of energy
- breathing difficulties and coughing
- general changes in behaviour
The trouble is worms are highly contagious, and the medicine from the GP will kill the worms but not the eggs. Just to be a total pain in the bum (no pun intended) the eggs can live up to 2 weeks outside of a body! EEK!!
How To Stop Worms Spreading
Here’s a few things the NHS recommend to help stop the spread and re-infection of threadworms:
- wash hands and scrub under fingernails – particularly before eating, after using the toilet or changing nappies
- encourage children to wash their hands regularly
- bathe or shower every morning
- rinse toothbrushes before using them
- keep fingernails short
- wash sleepwear, sheets, towels and soft toys (at normal temperature)
- disinfect kitchen and bathroom surfaces
- vacuum and dust with a damp cloth
- make sure children wear underwear at night – change it in the morning
- don’t shake clothing or bedding, this will prevent eggs landing on other surfaces
- don’t share towels or flannels
- don’t bite nails or suck thumbs and fingers
How Threadworms Spread in Children
Threadworms spread when their eggs are swallowed. They lay eggs around your anus, which make it itchy. The eggs get stuck on your fingers when you scratch. (Yak!) They can then pass on to anything you touch, including:
- clothes
- toys
- toothbrushes
- kitchen or bathroom surfaces
- bedding
- food
- pets
- anything else they touch!!
Eggs can then pass to other people when they touch these surfaces and touch their mouth. They take around 2 weeks to hatch.
Children can get worms again after they’ve been treated for them if they get the eggs in their mouth. This is why it’s important to encourage children to wash their hands regularly and to stop thumb sucking as much as possible!
Again, always consult with your GP or chemist about the most appropriate treatment for your family.
Other Things to Help Control Worms
As well as following a worming plan and having a chat with your vet, there are also many other practical things you can do to help prevent the spread of worm infections among your pets and family.
- poop scooping – make sure you pick up your dog’s poop immediately on a walk and remove it from the outdoor poop area every day – bag it, and put it in poop bins, double bag it, and put it in your normal rubbish bin, or check with your local council.
- ensure you and your children wash your hands after handling / stroking your dog.
- wash all food including fruit and vegetables before eating them.
- don’t allow children to put dirt in their mouths.
- throw away any food dropped on the floor rather than eating it.
- cover children’s sandpits when not in use – cats and foxes think they are a big litter box!
Travelling Outside the UK
There are specific parasitic worms to which your pet may be exposed to on visiting countries outside the UK.
Two notable worms are Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), transmitted by a mosquito bite, which could be fatal if your dog is not protected, and one type of Tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis), which can cause serious and fatal disease in people.
If you are intending to travel with your dog, you should talk to your vet in plenty of time to establish the best worming regime to ensure the protection of both your dog’s health and that of your family.
For further information about what you need to do before, during, and after travel abroad with your dog, refer to the Pet Travel Scheme guidelines on the DEFRA website, www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel.
ESCCAP UK provides practical advice to dog owners to protect pets from parasitic infections. To find out more, visit www.esccapuk.org.uk.
Now you know why you should worm your dog
So now you know why you should worm your dog, what about fleas or ticks? Why not have a look at our other post about fleas and ticks.
