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	Dr. Michael Dym Holistic & Conventional Veterinarian
"Over 19 years of caring for the well-being of pets" Visit his Ask the Vet blog.

Worms in Dogs and Cats


	What are Worms in Dogs and Cats? Worms or helminths are internal parasites that drain pets of blood and nutrients. Dogs and cats get worms that can be classified by shape into round or flat. Three types of round-shaped worms (nematodes) live in pet intestines: roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Two types of flat-shaped tapeworms (cestodes) live in pet intestines and other organs, including the liver: echinococcus and taenia. Dogs commonly get hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, and tapeworms. Cats commonly get roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms, but not whipworms. Pets can also get lungworms, esophageal worms, bloodworms, kidney worms, liver flukes, and intestinal protozoa. The most common pet worms are roundworms, and hookworms. Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are not intestinal parasites but are parasites that live in the heart. Heartworms are not spread like regular intestinal worms, but are spread by mosquitoes. They infect both cats and dogs and can cause death.

Dogs commonly get hookworms, whipworms, and roundworms


	Over ¾ of fecal exams do not find parasites present in feces. Because puppies & kittens are born with worms, they should be dewormed regularly. Some worms that infect pets also infect people.

Which Pets Are Most at Risk for Worms?

Almost universally, puppies and kittens have intestinal worms. Puppies and kittens whelped in large kennels or in unhygienic conditions have the greatest worm burdens. Pets using pet parks, doggy day cares with communal potty areas, farmyards, and city streets where feces is on the sidewalk are prone to having worms. Pregnant and lactating females have worms. Pets kept in humane shelters generally have intestinal worms.

How Do Pets Get Worms?

Puppies and kittens are born with intestinal worms. This occurs because worms resting within the mother's body are stimulated to grow by hormones secreted during pregnancy. The newly developed worms within the mother pass through the placenta (transplacental) and into the young before they are born. In addition, worms are passed through the mother's milk (transmammary) to the young. Puppies, kittens, and lactating bitches and queens should be wormed routinely.

Adult pets pick up worms from eggs that stay in the soil after pets have defecated. Some worm eggs survive for years in soil. Pets also pick up worms from

Eating fleas
Catching prey, such as mice and snails
Eating feces of other pets and farm animals


		Max's Tip: To prevent human infections, pets in homes with children, immune-compromised individuals, or elderly persons should be dewormed at least every three months.

Worms and Deworming Medications
Common Name	Scientific Name	Size	Where Pets Pick It Up	Zoonotic Risk To Humans	Deworming Medications
Roundworms	Ascarids Toxocara canis Toxocara Baylisascaris	½ to 8 inches	Toxocara from mother's placenta, mother's milk, & the ground Baylisascaris from raccoons & skunks	Visceral larval migrans	Dog Worms 3 Drontal Drontal Plus Canine Heartgard Plus HomeoPet Wrm Clear Interceptor Iverhart Plus Panacur C Profender Revolution Sentinel
Hookworms	Ancyclostoma caninum Uncinaria	¼ - ½ inch	Mother's placenta, mother's milk, the ground & eating infected prey	Larva migrans Eosinophilic enteritis	Dog Worms 3 Drontal Drontal Plus Canine Heartgard Chewables Heartgard Plus HomeoPet Wrm Clear Interceptor Panacur C Profender Revolution Sentinel
Whipworms	Trichuris	2-3 inches	The ground		Drontal Plus Canine Interceptor Sentinel Panacur C
Threadworms	Strongyloides	¼ inch or less	Transmammary Ground	Infects humans	Panacur C
Tapeworms	Dipylidium Taenia Diphyllobothrium Echinococcus	Adult is up to 2 feet long, but dried segments in feces are size of rice grain Segments dry to size of sesame seed	Dipylidium from eating fleas Taenia from eating rodents Diphyllobothrium from eating freshwater fish Echinococcus from sheep, cattle, deer, coyote, rodents	Hydatid disease	Dog Worms 3 Droncit Drontal Drontal Plus Canine HomeoPet Wrm Clear Panacur C Profender Tape Worm Tabs Cat

Product Active Ingredient	Species	Roundworms	Hookworms	Whipworms	Tapeworms	Schedule
		Can cause human infections	Can cause human infections		Can cause human infections
Droncit Praziquantel	Dogs Cats	+			+	Single dose with food
Drontal Praziquantel Pyrantel Pamoate	Cats Kittens	+	+		+	With food
Drontal Plus Canine Praziquantel Pyrantel Pamoate Febantel	Dogs	+	+	+	+	With food
HomeoPet Worm Clear	Dogs Cats	+	+		+	Daily for 1-2 weeks
Panacur C Fenbendazole	Dogs	+	+	+	+	With food
Profender	Cats	+	+		+	Apply topically
Tape Worm Tabs for Cats Praziquantel	Cats	+	+		+	With food
Dog Worms 3 Pyrantel Pamoate Praziquantel	Dogs	+	+		+	Give as a single dose

Recommended Products for Dogs and Cats with Worms:

Drontal Plus

Profender

Tape Worm Tabs

Panacur C

Find HomeoPet Worm Clear on 1-800-PetMeds

HomeoPet Wrm Clear

Dog Worms 3


	Worms in Dogs and Cats Symptoms of Worms in Dogs and Cats Worm Treatment for Dogs and Cats

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