There are a number of symptoms to look out for to see if your dog has worms. The most obvious are seeing worms in your dog’s faeces or around the bottom area. Your dog may vomit and there may be worms within the vomit. In puppies they might have a bloated stomach. Other signs include your dog being lethargic and weak - worms are parasites that will take the nutrition away from your dog leaving them hungry and with an increased appetite but still possibly losing weight and acting “out of sorts”. Your dog may also have diarrhea, which may have blood in. People often think that when dogs rub their bottoms on the floor it is a sign of worms and whilst it could be it may also be a gland problem - if they are presenting this symptom with no others then go see a vet.
There are many different types of worms that dogs can have including roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, heartworm and whipworms, not all are easily detected and the best treatment against worms is a good defence. Using a high quality dog worming tablet regularly is the best way to protect your dog against worms. There are many dog worming tablets on the market but one of the best is Drontal Plus dog worming tablets. It is a simple tablet which your dog might eat straight from your palm or mixed in with food. It should be administered every three months to keep on top of worms. If your dog is suffering from a particularly bad case, then speak to your vet for advice on extended medication. Puppies should be treated regularly, every two weeks, until they are twelve weeks old as roundworm is more common and problematic in puppies.
To defend your dog against worms you need to understand where they can come from. Worms can be picked up if your dog comes into contact with infected dirt - roundworm and hookworm can be found in infected dirt. You cannot stop dogs running about and exploring but a well-trained dog will come when called and if you know of an infected area then you can keep them away, or keep your dog on a harness or lead in certain areas. Tapeworms can reside in fleas which are swallowed when your dog is grooming themselves; they therefore swallow the tapeworm within the flea and become infected. Regular flea treatment will help ensure your dog does not pick up worms this way. Tapeworms also are on other wildlife that your dog might hunt and eat. As well as ensuring your dog is having regular flea treatment, train them to drop or leave on command, thereby reducing the risk of them picking up fleas from wildlife.
