There are two types of worms that you are likely to have to contend with in keeping your dog healthy, and they are the round worms and the tapeworms.
Round worms are the ones most prevalent in puppies and they generally look like small white pieces of string of about three inches in length. They can grow up to twice this size in a full-grown dog.
Round worms live in the small intestine of the dog and can become so concentrated that they will block the passage. They can be passed by the bowel and this can obviously affect other dogs that are in contact with dogs that have round worms. It only takes a matter of days for the worms to become fully developed and it is easy for them to spread quickly from one dog to another.
The speed by which they can breed and multiply has been one of the reasons why many people originally assumed that puppies were always born with round worms although it has since been proven that this is not the case. More often than not the puppies have got the worms from their mother in the confines of their kennel.
There are so many different symptoms that can appear when a dog has worms that anything you notice outside of the ordinary behavior of your pet should be addressed by a visit to your vet as a worm infested dog can become a very unhealthy, unhappy dog very fast. Left untreated worms can kill a dog so it is better to be safe than sorry if you suspect your pet might have worms or have been in contact with other dogs that might have worms.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.