Worms in dog poop are an issue many a dog owner has to face, however, it usually goes largely unappreciated. Sometimes the fact that your dog has worms coming out in his poop can let you in on a lifesaving revelation about his health.
The signs will help you take immediate action against the serious development of health problems. Following are 18 of the most common signs that your dog may have worms in their poop, with which you will be better prepared to help your fur baby. Some of them include:
1. Visible Worms In Stool
The most common symptoms of worms in a dog's feces vary from the worms themselves to small, rice-like grains, normally tiny and spaghetti-like strands.
Roundworms are the most common type of worm infection that dogs get infected with, hence, sometimes these can be freely seen within the feces of the dogs. In such a situation, one may very well be sure that these parasites come from an active worm infection within your dog.
Early detection of visible worms will also save your dog from further deteriorating health. Consultation with your vet should always be sought if you see any worms in their feces.
2. Mucus In Stool
That greasy, slimy stuff you see in your dog's stool is most likely the causative agent for inflammation in the digestive tract, thereby giving rise to excessive mucus.
Mucus protects the intestines, but mucus is often an indication that your pet has been exposed to parasites. Veterinarians should be aware of feces and other such signs.
Thus, a flea infection can result in chronic intestinal troubles in dogs. Therefore, the stools should not have remained longer and proper treatment in time will restore your pet's healthy digestive system.
3. Diarrhea
Among the major symptoms that may be associated with parasitic infection include frequent diarrhea in dogs. This will especially apply if the pet experiences this with the presence of worms in it. They might develop loose stools as their body struggles to get rid of the worms from their intestines.
Diarrhea can further make your pet more prone to dehydration, therefore immediate action should be resorted. If you discover frequent diarrhea with worms present, consult your vet for its treatment.
Your pet may also become more prone to other diseases if the infection-causing diarrhea is left unhealed. It is essential to keep your dog always hydrated whenever it suffers from a worm infection.
4. Blood In Stool
Blood in the dog's poop is one severe symptom that may be evidence of a worm infection. As well as inflammation, the worms can cause damage to the intestinal wall and, later, bleeding.
If blood streaks are visible in the stool, more so with diarrhea, or if the worm is visible, veterinary services should be sought. Blood in the stool normally shows internal damage caused by parasitic action.
The intestinal hemorrhaging due to worms tends to increase if left untreated. Seek early treatment of the infestation since it reduces the chance of healing.
5. Unexplained Weight Loss
Even if your dog eats a healthy diet, worms can cause weight loss, stealing your dog’s bite and keeping it nourished. Checking your dog’s weight along with appetite is a surefire way to look for flea information.
Weight loss may be a good indicator that your dog is severely malnourished due to fleas. Regular visits to your veterinarian will ensure that such parasites are caught early.
6. Lethargy Or Fatigue
These worms sap the energy of your dog as they siphon off his vital nutrients which could make him tired and lethargic. If your normally energetic dog is now acting sluggish or tired most of the time, then it could be due to worms.
Most often, such symptoms as weight loss and diarrhea join it. Impeding nutrient absorption makes your canine friend weaker and less energetic in general because of the worms.
It is the worms that cause the infestation, and your dog will not only have temporary problems of tiredness then. With due care and treatment, it returns to normal with ease.
7. Scooting Behavior
The worms inside the system irritate and itch, thus, one of the ways dogs show that the worms are inside their systems is by scooting their rear ends across the floor. The tapeworm segments may cause a great deal of irritation around the anus and provoke dog scooting.
This could be the case when it happens a bit too often with your canine friend, as it is trying to get rid of this irritation caused by the worms. Such an uncanny sort of behavior may mean in one way or another that the dog has worms, which in most cases would come with diarrhea or sighting such worms.
As long as the scooting goes on, skin irritation and resultant infections will continue to afflict your dog. Once the worms are removed, the skin condition clears, helping to alleviate pain.
8. Vomiting
Your vomiting dog is a symptom of an acute infection of worms especially when your dog's stomach has roundworms inside it. The worms inside of your dog's stomach cause nausea that eventually builds up into bouts of vomiting.
Vomiting several times a day, if you are there when he does throw up- the worms in the spew- is a matter of serious concern. Vomiting with weight loss or diarrhea is something you need to show the doctor ASAP.
Frequent vomiting dehydrates and escalates health problems in your dog. The earlier you act, the less severe the infection will be.
9. Potbelly Appearance
Potbelly is caused by parasites bloating your dog's intestines as they grow and multiply. Generally, a bloated stomach points toward a high worm burden that ought to be treated forthwith.
Often, heavy worm infections in puppies easily result in this characteristic potbelly. These symptoms of potbellied dogs need to be treated not by wasting even a single minute so that the damage happening is not irreversible.
It can be cured provided proper deworming treatments are given.
10. Increased Appetite
Some dogs have an increased appetite due to worms feeding on their nutrients. Though they eat more than usual, they stay thin or do not put on weight.
This abnormal appetite is a way your dog's body is trying to replace whatever nutrients got sucked by the worms. The hound might be having more, yet all that isn't getting appropriate nutrition.
A sudden increase in appetite may just give a hint about worms being an underlying issue. With only regular feeding, deworming treatment cannot sort out the problem.
11. Dry And Dull Coat
These wormy invaders can make your dog's skin and coat dry and dull. Worms steal the nutrients in your pet's body, and the coat won't look shiny but coarse.
Dullness or breaking of fur in your dog may be a silent pointer towards a worm infection. Keeping your dog free of parasites is an integral part of supporting a healthy-looking, shining coat.
A dull coat is a symptom of what could be happening with your dog's health internally, and de-worming will restore their overall vigor. A healthy diet and proper care of your dog will reward a shining soft coat.
12. Chronic Coughing
These worms hardly show any manifestations of respiratory problems such as frequent coughs. These are those species of worms that, during their migratory phases, pass into the lungs, creating irritations in the respiratory system, hence, coughs show up repeatedly.
Coughing is usually one of the minor symptoms of a worm infection but must not be taken lightly at all. If your dog is coughing constantly for apparently no reason at all, get them to the veterinarian to be checked for worms.
The coughing brought about by the worms can develop into respiratory distress if not treated. The sooner treatment is sought, the quicker any problems in the lungs brought about by the worms can be cleared up.
13. Increased Thirst
The reason being, through the process in the body alerts the dog to get rid of all toxic waste inside its stomach. In this respect, the result causes the dog to become thirsty. This may be due to the diuretic effect of the worm and its dehydrating effect which leads to your dog having increased thirst and drinking more water.
If he seems to be drinking more than what he is supposed to drink, along with possible diarrhea or lethargy, it may be worms. Most of the time, the intake of more water compensates for the fluid your dog loses.
Excessive thirst would usually mean that your dog is dehydrated; this is a condition that you should never take for granted. Keeping your puppy hydrated will give your puppy a brilliant chance of recovery since the worms are still being administered.
14. Labored Breathing
It is characterized by labored breathing when the worms find their way into the lungs. This is primarily because heartworms have been causing labored breathing since they block parts of the lungs that may result in coughing and lethargy.
Your dog may have trouble breathing or being winded if the worms are taking a toll on his respiratory system. Labored breathing in dogs is a grave symptom that calls for urgency in treatment.
Lungworms, if left unchecked, can create irreparable damage. Heartworm preventatives address the root problem of preventing this most likely lethal disease.
15. Restlessness And Anxiety
Anxiety or restlessness in your dogs or disturbance of their sleep due to worms. This is because of irritation caused by worms in the bowel region.
Usually, this would be followed by other symptoms such as scooting, vomiting, or diarrhea. This means your dog is constantly pacing, whining, or so anxious, it is due to worms.
Restlessness can also be due to other health issues bothering them. Proper treatment of the worms will get your dog back into a more docile state.
16. Loss Of Muscle Tone
Dogs with severe worm infection problems will ultimately face muscle waste or the loss of muscle tone. Worms can take away vital nutrients that your dog needs to keep up muscle mass.
This is attributed to the fact that the worms inside them are sucking all vital nutrients away from them. More drastically, if any muscle loss is shown, this may require a visit with a veterinarian to stop the infection of worms.
Early treatment concerning muscular loss prevents further health complications in the long run. A wholesome diet complemented with drugs to deworm helps regain the muscles.
17. Pale Gums
Pale gums are also a symptom of anemia, and this is brought about by the blood-sucking worms, more so the hookworms. The worms take control of the host's blood for their benefit leaving the host with reduced red blood cells hence causing anemia in dogs.
Periodically check your dog's gums, and for the most part, they need to be pink and healthy. They should not be pale or white. Pale gums are one of the surest signs that your dog could be suffering from an advanced worm infection.
Anemia due to worms in dogs is serious and needs immediate treatment. Keeping your dog parasite-free will contribute to supporting his general health.
18. Foul-Smelling Stool
Since these worms are in your dog's intestines, their presence may come out in the form of bad-smelling feces that are just a little worse than normal. Extremely foul-smelling stool, together with one or two of the above symptoms, may be worms.
That, again, means that normal digestion is disrupted, there is inflammation, and with it all, foul odors from the worms. Of course, in cases of bad-smelling stool and also the presence of worms, blood, or mucus, that just goes to say that the infection is active.
Smelly poop is just an early warning that something in your dog is not quite right. Deworming treatments will normalize digestion and decrease those smelly stools.
