Does
Your Dog Have Roundworms?
You may not
know and this is one of the arguments in favor of regular deworming.
Regular deworming is especially recommended for dogs that hunt and
might consume the flesh of hosts carrying worm larvae. Puppies are
frequently
simply assumed to be infected and automatically dewormed.
Of course, there are ways to find out if your dog is infected. If
a dog or puppy vomits up a worm, there is a good chance this is
a roundworm (especially in a puppy). Roundworms are long, white
and described as looking like spaghetti. Tapeworms can also be vomited
up but these are flat and obviously segmented. If you are not sure
what type of worm you are seeing, bring it to your vets office
for identification.
Fecal testing
for worm eggs is a must for puppies and a good idea for adult dogs
having their annual check up. Obviously, if there are roundworms
present, they must be laying eggs in order to be detected but, by
and large, fecal testing is a reliable method of detection. As with
many other problems, the best cure is to prevent roundworms from
infecting your dog. Keeping your dog on Interceptor year round will
prevent roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and of course Heartworms.
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