How to Get Rid of Worms in Dogs?

Dogs are one of the most playful animals on earth. They run, they bark, they jump, they play tricks and they do a lot of other stuff that most animals cannot perform. Seeing playful dogs can be very cute and exciting. However, most dogs also love to put anything in their mouth as long as they can carry it, even if it is inedible or dirty. We can see them sniffing on our garbage can or chewing our old and dirty shoes. Sometimes they also like to bury bones before eating them. Because of this, dogs become prone to a lot of diseases and infections that usually affect their digestive system. One of these problems is caused by the presence of parasitic or intestinal worms. Once these worms are allowed to grow and multiply inside the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of our dogs, it can already cause serious damage or complications to their health. This makes it very important for us, as dog owners, to know how to get rid of worms in dogs. Below are some of the tips that can efficiently help us in eliminating these parasites.

Understanding the Condition of the Dog

Before we can discuss the effective ways in treating dogs with worms, we must first be aware on how to spot or tell whether our dogs has these parasites. Animal experts have already claimed that worms can be fatal to the dogs once they are not managed immediately and properly. So in order for us to provide immediate interventions, we must first be knowledgeable on how to detect dogs suffering from worm infestation as early as possible. This can be done by looking for specific signs and symptoms that can be exhibited by our pet dogs. One of these symptoms is the presence of small and wriggly creatures or worms on the dog’s feces. Once this is observed, we should then begin monitoring each of our dog’s bowel movement to check whether the same kind of worms can be seen on every passage of waste products. Aside from the dog’s feces, we can also try checking the dog’s vomit contents or vomitus. Once in a while, dogs can also expel what they eat through vomiting and this can also reveal the presence of small worms. Other signs of worm infestation in dogs include loose bowel movements and as well as low energy level. Once these symptoms are observed, it is already necessary for us to bring our pet to the veterinarian in order for the dog to be tested for worms. Worms located in the stomach of the dog can also show signs in dogs of dull fur, decrease appetite and even weight loss.

Learning the Effective Ways in Getting Rid of Worms

There are actually a lot of things that we can use or do in order to successfully eliminate worms from our dogs’ gut. Some of these methods utilize natural resources, while others rely on advanced medicines. However, if we were to choose a method or removing worms, then we can try the natural ways first since these can cause lesser or no side effects compared to the pharmacologic treatments. Below are some of the things and ways that we can use.

• Garlic – We all know that garlic is already used in aiding a lot of health problems in humans. However, this spice is also effective in dealing with worms in dogs. Some of the worms that harm the dogs come from their fleas. So in order for us to get rid of the worms, we must also know how to eliminate their fleas. This is where garlic becomes very handy. Nevertheless, the smell of the garlic does not kill the fleas but only repel them away from the dog.

• Pumpkin Seed – another effective item in getting rid of worms is the pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are effective in eliminating the worms found in our dogs. This can be applied by crushing the pumpkin seeds before mixing them with our dog’s meal. This can be done for at least a few days before we can see the effective results.

• Keeping the Dogs Clean and Well-Groomed – another effective way in combating dog worms is by providing proper dog hygiene. It is important that owners know how to keep their pets clean. Most worms, such as the tapeworms, come from the dog’s fleas. These fleas usually attack dogs that are dirty and unclean. So in order for us to get rid of the fleas, we must frequently keep our dogs clean and properly groomed. We can bath them at least once a week using appropriate flea and tick shampoo or dog soap until the fleas and ticks have gone, and then use an all-natural pet shampoo to keep them clean. We can also use anti-flea powder in order to repel the fleas away from the dog’s body. Once these fleas are successfully reduced, then the chances of having tapeworms are also significantly reduced.

• Medicinal Herbs – medicinal herbs that are usually used by humans can also be used by dogs in treating intestinal worms. Herbs such as aloe leaves, cloves, cayenne pepper, and wormwood can be utilized and fed to the dogs at least once or twice a week in order to efficiently get rid of the worms from the dog’s stomach.

These are just some of the natural and effective ways or methods of removing worms from the dog’s stomach or intestine. In case these methods are ineffective, then we can always use a more advanced method, which is the use of dog worming products. An example of this is the administration of vaccines that can be given to the dogs when they are still puppies. These vaccines are capable of preventing the occurrence of intestinal worms and other dog parasites. However, it is important for us to wait until the puppy is 6 months old before we can provide the mentioned vaccination. For more inquiries about this treatment or prevention against dog worms, we can always discuss our concerns with our attending veterinarians. So what are we waiting for? Let us help in providing our dogs a life free from any insidious worms.