If your puppy or adult dog contracts worms, it will most likely be an unpleasant experience for the whole family, as it can make the animal extremely sick and can be difficult to treat. Some parasites that affect our pets can also be harmful to our children. By checking the dog’s waste, you can sometimes miss detecting worms as checks will often fail to spot larvae or smaller worms.
Therefore, the best thing you can do for your family dog is to take action to prevent the nightmare in the first place.
We’ve looked into some of the best advice from the best sources to give you a guide in protecting your pup and eradicating the chance of him catching worms as best you can.
1. Keep your dog and their living space clean.
Regular spring cleans of their pet bed to remove feces and dirt will eliminate the environment that the worms crave to thrive in. Keep on top of cleaning other soft furnishings that your four-legged-friend takes a liking to, such as sofas and cushions; to not only protect him, but your whole family. Groom your dog regularly to keep him free from fleas and ticks, too.
2. Take regular trips to the vet for prevention treatments.
Your local vet will be able to provide your dog with a preventative treatment against worms in the form of medication, and to lower the risk of infection. This is made a lot more crucial if your female dog becomes pregnant, as you will want to reduce the risk of her passing any problems on to her newborns. You can also get reliable Drontal worming tablets to prevent the infection caused by worms without going to the vets – as you can purchase them from vet-medic.com.
3. Train your dog and keep an eye on him whilst out and about.
Keeping your dog out of mischief while on your daily walk can seem an impossible task for those of us with ‘livelier’ dogs, but aiming to teach them to keep away from other dog’s feces and small rodents can be very beneficial for them, as parasites can be passed on through each of these things.
4. Try to keep a sick dog away from others.
If you have more than one pet in your home and one of them is unlucky enough to become sick, try to keep them away from the others whilst they recover. Although they may feel a little left out for a while, it will help them in the long term as it will eradicate the infection from the house much quicker and efficiently. Taking other dogs to the vet for a check-up if they’ve been in contact with an infected animal is advised as a precaution, as dogs especially are very sociable.
5. Get clued up on worms.
Your best defense is knowledge – research worms and what sort of environment they need to thrive. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to prevent and fight them. You could even get the whole family involved in ‘pet worm patrol’ to keep your furry friend fit, healthy and happy.
Laura is a 21 year old English graduate with a passion for journalism, fitness, health and lifestyle