Worms in Dog Poop: Signs, Treatment Options & Prevention (2024)

Your dog's health, size and age will play a large role in how intestinal worms will affect their overall health. The type and number of worms a dog is infected with are also influential. Worms not only live in the stomach and intestines, but they can also be found in the heart, kidneys, lungs and other organs. Keep in mind thatringworm, which is also seen in dogs, isn't actually a worm but a fungus.

Dogs can contract intestinal worms in several ways. A mother dog can pass worms to her puppies in the womb or when nursing. Dogs can also become infected with worms byingesting dog poopthat contains worm eggs or eating another animals poop that's infected with worms. Dogs can become infected with tapeworms if they ingest a flea that contains tapeworm larvae. Worms are obligate parasites that get all of their nutrition from their host. Dogs who are smaller, younger and/or have a compromised immune system may be more prone to developing worms in their poop than others.

The four main worms found in dog poop are hookworms, whipworms, roundworms and tapeworms.

• Hookwormsare tiny, thin worms with hook-like mouth parts.
• Whipwormslook like tiny pieces of thread that are enlarged on one end.
• Roundwormslook like spaghetti and may be several inches long.
• Tapewormslook like grains of rice
  

The best way to identify worms in dog poop is to take any worms you find along with a sample of your dog's poop to your veterinarian, who will help you identify and treat any parasites. Most of the time you won't see adult worms, so they're usually diagnosed by a veterinary professional with a fecal float test. The poop sample is dissolved in a special solution and spun in a centrifuge to be examined under a microscope to look for worm eggs in dog poop.

Once your dog is worm-free, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about monthly worm prevention. Many monthlyheartworm preventionmedications include intestinal parasite prevention medication as well, making total worm prevention easy. These medications work by killing any intestinal parasites that your dog is exposed to. For these medications to work properly, give them to your dog as directed.

In addition to giving your dog a monthly broad-spectrum worm prevention medication, it's also recommended that you have your dog's stool checked every 6 to 12 months for microscopic parasite eggs. No medication works 100% of the time, so having your dog's poop checked regularly will ensure that the monthly prevention is doing its job of keeping worms out of your dog and out of your life.