Hookworm can also be deadly.
They are parasitic nematodes that attach to your dog's small intestines.
Puppies can be infected in the uterus and through nursing.
Ingesting the larvae or the larvae burrowing through their skin, is how you dog gets infested.
Signs to watch for are coughing, wheezing, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, blood in stools (red for fresh blood, black for old blood) itchy feet, rash on feet, dull coat, loss of appetite, weight loss, and anemia.
A microscopic examination of your dog's feces is needed to correctly diagnose infestation.
Unless the case is so severe, your pet can be treated for hookworm.
Again, as humans can contact hookworms from their infected pets, caution should be taken.
Whipworms are also bloodsuckers.
Their whip like shape can identify them.
They are ingested through contaminated water and food.
Whipworms attach themselves to the cecum and large intestines, then like tiny vampires, suck your dog's blood, causing severe anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, and blood in stools.
Watch for mucus covered stools.
There are treatments for whipworm.
Tapeworm are approximately one quarter to one half inch in length.
At first, the broken off segments appear as a white flat object, often found attached to your pet's anus.
Dried, they look like white sesame seeds or rice.
Ingesting fleas contaminated with tapeworm eggs infects dogs.
Tapeworms as long as 15 feet have been found attached to the walls of the small intestines, of severely infested dogs.
Each segment contains eggs! As tapeworms steal the nutrients from your dog's diet, your dog will show signs of insatiable hunger, weight loss, discomfort, itching anus (they may scooch around the floor, rubbing their anus), nervousness and vomiting.
Tapeworms can be treated.
Finally, we come to the ringworm, which isn't a worm, but rather a variety of fungi.
Ringworm is transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal, or contact with an item that is contaminated with the spores.
Dogs with suppressed immune systems, puppies and dogs treated with too many steroids are more likely to be effected.
Most healthy dogs have some resistance to ringworm.
A healthy dog will rarely if ever, develop symptoms.
Watch for small, round lesions around the head, paws, legs and tail.
Sometimes they may be found around the face, especially the nose.
Roundworm is often confused with demodetic mange.
To correctly diagnose, your veterinarian will most likely use a black light, and do a culture on scrapings.
Ringworm can be transmitted to humans, so if your dog is infected, take the necessary precautions.
Bottom line: To have a healthy pet and to make your dog more comfortable, not to mention, to prevent the transmission of dog to dog and dog to human contamination, take preventative measures to keep your pet as worm free as possible.