Healthy Inside and Out

Intestinal worms are a common problem in both cats and dogs, but with consistent and regular treatment, these little invaders can easily be overcome.

A puppy or kitten with a pot-belly, an out-of-condition, skinny dog or even a perfectly healthy-looking animal – all these pets can be suffering from intestinal worms.

How do dogs and cats get worms?

Dogs and cats contract worms by eating worm larvae or eggs, in the womb from mother to kitten or pup, from fleas and mosquitos, and from hunting and catching infected rodents or birds. 

Types of worms in dogs and cats

The most common types of intestinal worms found in cats and dogs include roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Symptoms can vary depending on whether the affected pet is a cat or dog, what kind of worm they have contracted, as well as how extensive the infestation is. Sometimes, there are few or no symptoms – which makes preventative treatment the best course of action.

Roundworms

Roundworms can be hard to detect as they can lay dormant, appearing in times of stress or during a host’s pregnancy, when they activate to infest the animal’s offspring in the uterus. Larvae can also be transferred to nursing puppies and kittens through feeding. Roundworm eggs are eliminated in the faeces and vomit. They have a hard shell, which allows them to exist in the environment for years, until, if they are ingested, they infest other dogs and cats.

Roundworm symptoms in dogs and cats

Roundworm symptoms include lethargy, coughing, vomiting, abdominal swelling and pain, weight loss, and dead roundworms (which look like short spaghetti) in the stool.

Whipworms

Whipworms are more common in dogs than cats, and they shed relatively fewer eggs, making them difficult to detect in the stool, even when examined by a vet. Occasionally, adult whipworms appear in the faeces – they are small and threadlike, with one larger end.

Whipworm symptoms in dogs and cats

Whipworm symptoms include chronic weight loss, diarrhoea and mucus in the stool.

Hookworms

Hookworms are the most dangerous of the intestinal worms, and affect dogs more often than cats. Like roundworms, dogs can become infected in the uterus, through nursing, through the skin or by ingesting eggs in the environment. The hookworms feed on the blood of the host by attaching to the intestinal lining. They produce a substance that prevents blood clotting, and can cause anaemia when they move from place to place, leaving bleeding wounds.

Hookworm symptoms in dogs and cats

Hookworm symptoms include a poor appetite, unhealthy appearance, pale nostrils, lip and ear linings, and possibly dark stools, diarrhoea and constipation.

Tapeworms

The transmission of tapeworms is usually through dogs and cats hunting and eating birds and rodents that have tapeworms or fleas, or from the ingestion of fleas through grooming so, to prevent tapeworms, it is imperative that flea treatment is also practised. Fleas act as an intermediary host for the tapeworm, eating the tapeworm eggs when in the larval stage. Then, during grooming or in response to a flea bite, the tapeworm-infected flea can be ingested by a dog or cat, and the tapeworm’s life cycle is completed.

Tapeworm symptoms in dogs and cats

Tapeworms grow to 10-15cm in length, and are made up of segments, which can break off – this is usually how their presence is discovered. The segments look like grains of rice and may be present in the stool or area around the anus. Infected pets will also display symptoms of an itchy behind – scratching or biting at the area, or ‘scooting’.

Treatment and Prevention

Use an all wormer (such as Aristopet™ All Wormer tablets for canines or Aristopet All Wormer tablets for felines) and follow the instructions on the pack. If you think your pet has tapeworm, you’ll also need to treat for fleas.

For your adult canine companion use an all wormer regularly (usually every three months), and practice good stool hygiene – remove dog faeces from your garden regularly and always have a poo bag handy when out with your dog. Litter boxes should be cleared regularly. Flea prevention is also important, and children should be encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly after handling pets.

How do I treat puppy worms?

Puppies require more frequent deworming - treat at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age – thereafter every 3 months. 

Can humans get worms from dogs and cats?

Yes, worms can be spread to humans from domestic pets like cats and dogs. Pet owners should take preventative measures such as practising good hygiene and regularly deworming their dog or cat to avoid contracting worms.