Do you need to treat your pet for worms? In short, the answer is yes, whilst the frequency and type of treatment you decide to use is flexible, worming your pets is an excellent way to protect both you and them from disease, and is part of every good preventative healthcare plan. Depending on the types of parasites your pet is exposed to in your local area, it may be recommended to worm them monthly, for example to prevent lungworm or heartworm making your pet ill, however not all pets will require worming every month. Discussing your pet’s preventative healthcare plan with your local veterinarian will allow you to decide on the appropriate frequency and type of treatment you should be using based on the risks your pet is exposed to.
What are worms?
‘Worms’ is the umbrella term used for a group of parasites that are worm-like in appearance which usually live in the intestines of animals where they feed and reproduce, often leading to signs of weight loss, increased appetite and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. There are also types of worms that live or migrate to other areas of the body causing disease there. There are many different types of worms, however the two main groups that we see causing disease in pets are roundworms and tapeworms, and the main reason for this distinction is that not all treatments cover both of these groups.
Two of the most common roundworms that we treat for in dogs are Toxocara canis and Angiostrongylus vasorum, and these vary greatly in length and appearance. Cats can also get worms and they are very similar to the dog equivalents, and these include Toxocara Cati and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.
Toxocara is a thin white-pink worm that varies from 4 to 15cm in length and lives mainly in the intestines. Toxocara eggs are deposited in the faeces of an infected animal, where they survive in the environment until ingested by a new host, the eggs then hatch in the intestines, migrate through the body and then once back in the intestines the adult begins to produce eggs to start the cycle again.
Angiostrongylus (also known as lungworm) on the other hand is a thin red-pink worm that averages between 1.4 to 2cm in length and has a much more complicated life cycle, involving slugs and snails as an intermediate host before re-infecting dogs again. These worms are the reason you shouldn’t let your dog eat slugs or snails!
One of the most common tapeworms is Dipylidium caninum, it is a segmented worm that can grow up to 46cm in the intestines and its life cycle involves releasing segments full of eggs in the faeces, which look like grains of rice, and it uses the flea as its intermediate host. All of these worms and eggs can be found out in the environment, so your dog will be exposed to them in any area where there are other dogs infested with them, or where there are wild animals like foxes who are also infested.
What problems do worms cause?
Worms cause signs of illness based on where they live and migrate within the body, and these signs will be the main indicator that your pet has worms. If you notice the following signs then it is recommended to take your pet to you local veterinarian, as they will be able to perform any necessary tests or provide treatment based on your pet’s needs.
- Gastrointestinal – Issues with the stomach and intestines are very frequent with worm infestations, as these places are where most worms reside. Worms that exist in the stomach and intestines either eat the animal’s ingested food as a source of energy, or they attach to the walls of the intestines to feed off of the animal’s blood, either way they are stealing nutrients from your pet and usually cause irritation to the intestines in the process. The main signs associated with intestinal worms are weight loss or failure to gain weight (especially if they are young), diarrhoea and in some cases vomiting.
- Respiratory – Issues with the respiratory system can also be seen with some worms, as part of their life cycle involves migrating through the body to the lungs, causing inflammation and blocking up the airways. Animals with these types of worms will often have a cough, but can also become out of breath quickly when exercising or struggle to breathe.
- Blood clotting – The worm Angiostrongylus vasorum, also known as lungworm, can lead to clotting issues if the infestation is left untreated, and these are mainly seen as bruises appearing on the dog’s body with no obvious cause, and sometimes bleeding can be seen elsewhere, such as in the eyes. As mentioned earlier, these worms are mainly picked up by eating slugs or snails, so please don’t let your pet eat them!
- Cardiac – The worm Dirofilaria immitis, also known as heartworm, can cause issues with the heart, as this is where adult stages of the worm reside. Animals that have a large number of heartworms will often have poor function of their heart as the worms prevent the blood from being pumped out of the heart effectively. This can cause your pet to show signs of struggling to breathe or coughing, progressing to more severe signs like collapse.
Whilst some of these effects of the worms are less severe, they do have the possibility to cause life- threatening illness, and as such it is important to not overlook preventing and treating these infestations. In the case of the heartworm Dirofilaria immitis, prevention is much better than cure, as treatment of the worms when they are already in the heart can be life-threating in itself!
How will I know if my pet has worms?
Your local veterinarian will be able to make a diagnosis of worms by combining some of the previously mentioned clinical signs with a test proving the presence of worms. This is usually achieved by looking at a faecal sample or by testing a blood sample. If your pet is already treated for worms on a regular basis then in most cases worms can be ruled out as a possible cause for the clinical signs they may be presenting with. However if you do not regularly worm your pet or if you have recently acquired them, either as a puppy or kitten, or from a rescue centre, then worms may be the cause of their clinical signs.
How do I treat my pet for worms?
With most types of worms the treatment is quite straight forward, as often a single dose of a prescription strength worming product will be effective at treating the infestation. It is still recommended to regularly treat your pet after resolving the initial infestation because the eggs that will now be in their immediate environment will continue to be infectious to them. It is difficult to remove the worm eggs from the environment, especially because wild animals will constantly be producing more of them as well, so using the worm treatments preventatively is more effective than treating once your pet has a new infestation.
In some cases the other clinical signs of your pet’s worm infestation may also need treating, for example they may benefit from dietary support and anti-sickness medication if they having vomiting and diarrhoea, or if they have a clotting issue as a result of their infestation they made need more intensive treatment by your local veterinarian to help stabilise them.
The one type of worm infestation that is particularly difficult to treat is the heartworm Dirofilaria immitis, because once the worms die as a result of the treatment they are still in the heart and main blood vessels in the body, so often they require very specialised treatment by your veterinarian to make sure they are as safe as possible once they have been treated.
Do I need to worry if my pet has worms?
Whilst not all worms can transfer into humans there are some that can, so if you are not regularly treating your pet for worms, or if you suspect that they may have an infestation of worms then you should take extra care. The main ways that worms are transferred between animals are through the faeces, so if you take extra care with your hygiene, especially when picking up their faeces and also when in areas they commonly toilet in (for example your garden), in addition to not allowing them to lick you, you should be able to markedly reduce your risk of getting worms. Children tend to be at a greater risk than adults, so make sure you ensure their hygiene with your pets as well.