Many pet owners fear the word worms when they take their dog to the vet or their dog appears to be sick. Many different types of worms exist in the world of canines. Some of them are potentially deadly and even possibly spread to humans. While worms are definitely something to try to prevent in your dog, most types of worms are successfully treated. While ridding your dog of hookworms is not as easy as treating tapeworms, hookworms can usually be dealt with safely in a series of treatments if action is taken quick enough to the infestation time.

Hookworms enter a dog’s system through its skin. Therefore, a dog can get hookworms from simply stepping in areas where infested dogs have infected an area through droppings. Mother dogs can also pass the worm on to their pups. And of course, dogs can contract hookworms from eating or even smelling, the feces of other dogs.

Once infected with hookworms, dogs typically appear to be tired and begin to lose weight. Their gums may not be a healthy shade of pink as normal and they may have diarrhea with blood in it. You may see the dog scratching more than usual from the worms entering the skin. Overall, the dog will not grow as it is expected.

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In addition to roundworms and tapeworms, canine hookworms are also common parasites. These internal parasites are about three millimeters long, but suck a lot of blood. They live in the small intestine and attach themselves to the walls using their teeth. Although these worms can affect grown dogs, they usually affect puppies and can be fatal in some cases.

Transmission

Hookworms can infect your dog in a variety of ways. Some dogs ingest them by licking or swallowing infected soil. The worms can also penetrate your dog’s body through his skin. The mother can also pass them to her puppies through her placenta. After birth, the mother can pass them along through her milk.

Symptoms

Hookworms in dogs causes a variety of symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms include bloody diarrhea and weakness. The larvae can also penetrate deeply into the skin. This will cause your dog a lot of discomfort due to the itching that results. Severe cases of canine hookworms can also cause anemia. In this case, you will notice your dog’s gums will appear pale.

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