We all know that dogs should be wormed regularly, but do we really know why? It is more important than you ever would have thought to keep your dogs worm free. While worms do not always cause dogs to exhibit visible symptoms, they do pose a health risk to humans, other animals and of course the dog itself. In this article I will be talking about how to spot the symptoms of worms in dogs.
So what should you look out for to see whether your dog has worms? Here are five symptoms of dog worms.
1.Weight Loss
Dogs with worms often visibly lose weight, and in a relatively short time span. Of course this can occur if the dog is being underfed, but if you know you are feeding properly and the dog is still losing weight there is a good chance you may have a worm problem.
2.Low energy levels
Has your dog begun to lose its energy? A healthy dog loves to use up its energy, especially on walks. Each dog has a different energy level, but you should notice if your dog begins to be unwilling to go for walks or seems to spend a lot more time lazing around.
3.Coughing and vomiting
A heavily infested dog will often have coughing fits, as well as vomiting. You may even be able to see worms in your dogs vomit. It's not a task you will relish, but if your dog has begun to be sick often it is worth checking the vomit for worms.
4.Dog looks pot-bellied
This is especially common in puppies that have worms, but often fully grown dogs will begin to look pot bellied.
5.Irregular appetite
All owners will know their dogs usual appetite, so if yours starts eating irregularly it is a good indicator that it may have worms. By irregular, I mean if the dog is very hungry one day, and then the next won't eat at all.
With these five symptoms of dog worms, you should be able to identify whether your dog has a worm problem or not. There are many different types of worm, but a lot of them share common symptoms. Dogs with worms are generally unhappy, so all owners should endeavour to keep their dogs worm free. There are plenty of great products on the market to deal with worms in dogs (and other household pets) and it if often a good idea to have a supply of at least one of these products in your house at all times.
Richard Cross is owner and webmaster of Dogsandyou.co.uk. Some top quality dog worming products can be found at the Dog Worm Products page.
