Without a doubt, dogs are one of the most adorable and favorite pets most people would want to have. However, every owner must know how a dog with worms acts because this is just one of the critical situations that your pups will face in their life.
Different Types Of Worms They Can Acquire
First, let us have a background on the different types of worms that you can possibly encounter with your dog:
- Ringworms – A ringworm or dermatophytosis is a skin disease that occurs in dogs. They infect the layers of your dog’s skin, hair, and nails. In this case, you will see lesions and sores on the outer layer of his skin because of fungus.
- Heartworms – A heartworm lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of a dog. They are easily transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. They are preventable and treatable, but as a dog owner, you need to address this as soon as possible for early prevention.
- Whipworms – A whipworm resides in the cecum and colon of dogs and can cause severe damage to the organs. They are about ¼ inches long and are very harmful to your fur baby’s internal body system.
- Hookworms – This kind of worm resides in the small intestine of a dog; they are the most common and smallest among their varieties. Hookworms are one of the common worms in puppies, but they can be life threatening to dogs of all ages.
- Tapeworms – With ⅛ inches long and flat segmented bodies, tapeworms grow inside a dog’s tummy and provide discomfort to their everyday lives. Tapeworms can infect your dog if he encounters another animal carrying tapeworm eggs and then ingest it.
- Roundworms – This is the most common type of worm that your dog can acquire. Roundworms can reach up to 3-5 inches long in adult dogs and look like spaghetti pasta.
Signs And Symptoms
Animals, like humans, have emotions too. They feel happy, sad, angry, and can get sick, just as we do. If you see these common signs and symptoms from them, you will know how do dogs act when they have worms:
- Coughing
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Rapid weight loss
- Pale gums
- Distended abdomen
- Presence of dog worms that look like rice in their stool
- Rubbing the hindquarters across the ground
- Hair loss/Skin irritation and inflammation
Benefits Of Deworming Your Dog
Once your pet dog shows you the signs of having worms, he or she must undergo deworming as one of the best treatments. Of course, this comes with the advice of your trusted veterinarian. Deworming is a good way to eliminate and avoid the increase of worm infestations inside their body.
Deworming is an act of love for them
Aside from giving food, hugging, and playing with dogs, deworming is also an act of love every owner can give to them. A scheduled deworming can be really helpful to lessen the infestation of worms inside his or her body.
They can appreciate effort
Dogs may not express through words how they feel, but they can appreciate the things that their owner does for them. The way they will show their appreciation is like the happiest day in their life, unlike those moments when you are looking for an answer on “how do dogs act when they have worms”.
A dog’s health is his wealth
Most people believe in the saying that “health is wealth” which is very true, so from a dog’s perspective it can be true too. Aside from a family that loves them, and a big bone, their health is also one of their wealth which is very important to them as well.
How To Prevent Worms From Coming Back
Prevention is always better than the cure. To remedy the current situation of your pups and stop it from coming back, here are some tips for you to consider:
- You can give initial treatments for puppies with age of three weeks.
- Schedule a monthly deworming as a preventive way of medication.
- Early detection and intervention is good.
- Spend at least 2-3 times per week cleaning up their backyard feces.
- Have your vet conduct fecal examinations 2-4 times per year.
- Observe cleaning and proper disposal of feces using sanitary gloves and plastic bags with seal.
- Practice sanitary and proper hygiene conditions at home.
- Practice proper hygiene in places like parks and other public spaces.
- Avoid too much exposure to contaminated materials, animals, places, or people.
- Keep them away from small and wild animals such as rats.
Conclusion
Being knowledgeable about the behavior of a dog with worms is one of the best ways to prevent a larger problem from coming along the way. Make sure that you are constantly taking your furry friends to regular check-ups so you can avoid these problems in the long run.
Another way to show your heart is to become a fur parent to foster dogs. They are always waiting for someone to adopt them so they can also experience a happy treatment — not just a bath, but also deworming. If you are interested, hurry and sign up at Doobert today!
