• June 20, 2022

Canine worms: how to treat them quickly with natural and conventional options

Worms in dogs are very common, with up to 1/3 of all dogs infected with intestinal parasites; roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia and giardia. In this article, I’ll go over the most common types of worms and how you can tell if your dog has worms. I’ll then move on to show you how to prevent worms in dogs and give you the best ways to treat them, both with conventional medications and natural solutions.

Roundworms are the most common; These worms are 1 to 3 inches long, white, and conical or round, hence the name roundworm. The veterinary name for roundworms is Toxocara canis. These are what most puppies have when they are diagnosed with pinworms. Dogs with pinworms often have distended bellies and appear bloated. In large infestations they can cause vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss, although most pet owners diagnose them by seeing a worm in their dog’s feces. These are easily spread from dog to dog through worm eggs in feces and soil.

Tapeworms are the next most common intestinal parasite in dogs; they are known as Dipylidium canis. Most dogs with tapeworms have few clinical signs, although a heavy infestation can cause intestinal upset and weight loss. These are easy to diagnose by finding segments of the tapeworm in your dog’s stool; the segments are flat, white, and are sometimes described as looking like flat grains of rice. Dogs acquire most tapeworms after ingesting a flea; the life cycle of the tapeworm includes maturing into a flea so that it can be passed on to other dogs. Tapeworms can also be transmitted with other animals, such as when your dog ingests a mouse.

Coccidia is a microscopic, worm-like intestinal parasite that commonly causes diarrhea in puppies, but can affect older dogs with compromised immune systems. Coccidia are transmitted from dog to dog through the eggs in the feces, contaminating the water and the environment. Some dogs may have a small amount of coccidia in their intestinal tract, but the organism thrives if the pup is under stress (such as crowded and unsanitary conditions), leading to diarrhea. Coccidia can be diagnosed with a veterinary microscopic fecal floatation, and should be suspected in any puppy with diarrhea that does not respond to traditional roundworm treatment.

Giardia is a waterborne intestinal parasite that most commonly affects adult dogs and causes diarrhea; it is also known as ‘beaver fever’. Giardia enters the water through contamination by wild animals (such as beavers) and infected dogs. Giardia cysts multiply in the intestinal tract, leading to signs of diarrhea with blood or mucus in the stool. It is a very difficult parasite to diagnose in veterinary practice, so many doctors may treat your dog with a conventional giardia medication.

Good hygiene and common sense are the best way to prevent your dogs from getting canine worms in the first place. Pick up feces outside on your lawn and prevent your dog from eating other dogs’ feces. Restrict your dog from drinking water from polluted streams or stagnant water from small pools. Practice proper flea control to limit the chance of tapeworms and make sure your dog has a hygienic, non-crowding environment to decrease the chances of developing coccidia.

Conventional treatment for worms in dogs depends on the type of intestinal parasite your dog has. Roundworms are easy to treat with a common and safe medication called pyrantel palmoate; avoid using any of the older dewormers that contain piperazine as they can be very dangerous. Treatment with Pyran (Pyrantel) is 2 doses, 10 to 14 days apart. Since most puppies have pinworms, I suggest giving all of them Pyran at 6 and 8 weeks; they may need additional treatments. Tapeworms respond well to treatment with praziquantel, which can be combined with pyran (drontal); usually only 1 dose is required. Coccidia respond best to sulfa antibiotics, usually sulfadimethoxine (S-125 or Albon); the dose is 250 mg per ounce of 10 lbs. daily for 14 to 21 days. Giardia can be treated with 2 common conventional medications, metronidazole and an older dewormer called fenbendazole. Fenbendazole is also effective against other intestinal parasites and is becoming the treatment of choice for Giardia. The dose of fenbendazole is 250 mg per ounce of 10 lbs. daily for 3 to 7 days.

Several different natural remedies are being used to help treat and eliminate pinworms in dogs. Papaya has been shown to be effective at killing roundworms in pigs, it may work for your pet and at least it won’t hurt. Pumpkin seed has been used for tapeworms. If your pet is a big hunter and is always reinfesting with tapeworms, you may want to consider this. The dosage is 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight of the ground seed. Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a common dewormer used for animals: give 1 capsule of the ground herb for every 20 pounds of body weight. Garlic has shown some activity against a parasite called Giardia (causes beaver fever). It is useful in recurrent infections.

You should now have a good understanding of the common types of worms in dogs and be able to recognize the common symptoms of infection: vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and worms in the stool. The four most common intestinal parasites are: roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and giardia; all can be prevented with proper dog hygiene. Finally, you should now learn about the most effective conventional and holistic remedies to treat your dog if he gets any of these intestinal parasites.

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