Canine Wellness:
Intestinal Worms

Your puppy should be checked for worms, which it can get from its mother or other dogs, by having its stool examined using a microscopic laboratory test. This exam needs to be repeated yearly if your dog is exposed to other dogs. Some intestinal worms can infect people.

Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas and are best detected by looking at a fresh stool sample or around your dog’s anus for tapeworm segments. The segments are flat squares when fresh and look like sesame seeds when dry.

Treatment for the different types of intestinal worms vary so identification is important. Only prescription medications are effective for the treatment of tapeworms. We recommend a monthly preventative de-wormer year round to prevent an intestinal worm infection in your pet. Worm transmission may be low in winter months; however we continue to see clinical cases in the winter as a brief warm period will allow these parasites to be transmitted to your pet and at-risk humans.