Dog Deworm

Deworming is one of the most important steps in keeping your dog healthy and happy. Intestinal parasites not only harm your pet’s digestion but can also affect their growth, weight, and overall wellbeing. Regular dog deworming protects your pet and your family from harmful worms.

Deworming prevents dangerous intestinal parasites in dogs.
Puppies are especially at risk and need early treatment.
Untreated worms cause weight loss, weakness, and anemia.
Some dog worms can spread to humans (zoonotic).
Regular prevention is safer and easier than treating advanced infestations.

Why Does My Needs Deworming?

Dogs can pick up worms almost anywhere, contaminated soil, infected feces, fleas, raw meat, or even from their mother during pregnancy or nursing. Puppies are highly vulnerable, while adult dogs can be reinfected repeatedly without regular deworming. Since worms reproduce quickly, just one exposure can lead to a heavy infestation if not treated.

Types of Dog Deworming

Roundworms (Ascarids)

Long, spaghetti-like worms found in the intestines. Puppies often get them from their mother. They cause bloated bellies, stunted growth, and diarrhea.

Hookworms

Tiny but very dangerous, these worms attach to the intestinal wall and suck blood. They cause severe anemia, pale gums, and weakness, especially in puppies.

Whipworms

Live in the large intestine and cause chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and inflammation. Often difficult to detect, requiring stool testing.

Tapeworms

Flat, segmented worms often spread through fleas. Segments may appear like rice grains around the dog’s anus or in feces. Cause itching, scooting, and weight loss.

Heartworms

Spread by mosquito bites, these worms live in the heart and lungs, leading to coughing, fatigue, and heart failure. Requires different prevention than intestinal worms.

Lungworms

Found in the airways, lungworms cause coughing, breathing difficulty, and sometimes pneumonia. Infection often comes from eating infected snails, slugs, or frogs.

Symptoms of Worm Infestation in Dogs

Visible Worms in Stool or Vomit

One of the most obvious signs is spotting worms directly. Roundworms look like long, spaghetti-like strands and may be seen in both stool and vomit. Tapeworms appear as small, flat segments, often resembling rice grains, stuck around the anus or in fresh feces.

Vomiting

Dogs with heavy worm infestations sometimes vomit live worms, especially roundworms. Even without visible worms, frequent vomiting or gagging can mean the worms are disrupting digestion or irritating the stomach.

Scooting or Itching Around the Rear

Tapeworm segments cause severe irritation around the anus, leading dogs to drag their bottoms along the floor (“scooting”). This behavior can also indicate anal gland issues, but combined with visible worm segments, it’s a strong sign of tapeworms.

Dull Coat and Poor Growth

Chronic worm infestations drain nutrients, leaving the coat dry, dull, and brittle. Puppies may fail to grow properly, showing delayed development, weak muscles, and fragile bones. A once-shiny coat turning rough is a red flag for internal issues.

Diarrhea or Soft Stool

Worms irritate the intestinal lining, leading to loose stools or diarrhea. Some cases may include mucus or streaks of blood. Chronic diarrhea weakens dogs, dehydrates them and is often overlooked as a minor stomach upset when in fact parasites are the cause.

Bloated Stomach

Puppies with roundworms often have a pot-bellied appearance, which owners mistake for “cute puppy fat.” In reality, it’s caused by worms filling the intestines. Despite the bloated belly, these puppies may be underweight and frail.

Coughing or Breathing Trouble

Heartworms and lungworms migrate to the lungs and airways, leading to persistent coughing, wheezing, and labored breathing. In heartworm disease, coughing may worsen with exercise and progress into heart failure if untreated.

Sudden Collapse or Death

In extreme infestations, especially with heartworms or hookworms, the burden on the heart or loss of blood can overwhelm the body. Dogs may suddenly collapse, go into shock, or die without warning. This is why prevention and regular dog deworming are essential.

Prevention & Dog Care

Routine Deworming

Follow a vet-approved schedule to keep infestations under control.

Safe Environment

Keep your yard clean of feces and prevent dogs from eating dead animals or trash.

Balanced Diet

Good nutrition strengthens the immune system and reduces worm susceptibility.

Heartworm Prevention

Monthly preventives are essential in areas with mosquitoes.

Monitor After Treatment

Watch your dog’s stool and behavior after deworming to ensure worms are gone and no side effects occur.

Dog Deworming FAQ

Infections, allergies, airway collapse, or heart disease are the main causes. Some breeds are genetically predisposed.

Persistent coughing, noisy breathing, or tiring easily during walks are common signs. Blue gums or collapse require immediate vet care.

Yes, infectious conditions like kennel cough and pneumonia can spread between dogs through droplets or shared air.

Cold, damp weather can worsen symptoms but usually doesn’t cause them directly. Weak immunity makes dogs more vulnerable.

Vets use X-rays, stethoscope exams, and oxygen-level testing to pinpoint the problem.

Yes. Dogs may also suffer from bladder stones, viruses, or dental disease—check our treatment pages for details.

Yes. You can explore more about dog problem and treatment on our dog page to stay informed and prepared.