What is Weight Loss in Dogs?
Unhealthy weight loss in dogs is considered a sudden decrease in weight accompanied by weakness. Typically, if your dog is losing weight at an abnormal rate, unaccompanied by extreme physical activity, there is an underlying illness responsible. You’ll likely see other signs and symptoms, such as low energy levels, weakened immune systems, lethargy, and dull coats that grow in patches.
These signs and symptoms can be explained by a series of illnesses, some more serious than others, so you want to seek medical advice from your vet as soon as you notice your dog losing a significant amount of weight.
How Can Dogs Get Worms?
Dogs can get worms when they ingest eggs or larvae that they find in feces, soil, or even in fleas that they lick on their own fur. The worm larva will then hatch and attach to your dog’s intestinal wall where it can grow into an adult worm (petmd.com).
The other way a dog might get worms is transmission from mother to pup. Worms can migrate across the placenta during pregnancy or larvae can be ingested by puppies when nursing.
Certain types of worms are easier to spot than others. For example, if your dog picks up a tapeworm, it’s common to see what resembles grains of rice in his stool. Heartworms, on the other hand, are harder to diagnose, and an infected dog will often show only subtle symptoms until the disease has progressed to a more advanced stage.
Below, we’ve put together a list of the most common signs of worm infestation in dogs.
Are worms in dog poop an emergency?
In fact, what your dog’s poop looks like can tell you a lot about your pup’s overall health. And sometimes dog owners find worms in there. Don’t panic. While these parasites are harmful, they can be treated if you take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
Why is My Dog Losing Weight (15 reasons Why Dog Lose Weight Explained)
Infection by worms is a common health problem that can affect dogs, although you may not know that not all worms are alike. As far as dogs are concerned, worms come in five types: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms (intestinal worms), and heartworms. It’s easier to spot some kinds of worms than others. For instance, if your dog picks up a tapeworm, you will usually see what looks like grains of rice in his stool. Roundworms also can often be seen in a dog’s stool. Tapeworms may appear as small moving presences in a dog’s fur, or around the anal area. Heartworms, on the other hand, do not produce discernable signs of their existence until heartworm disease is at a reasonably advanced stage. Here are ten common symptoms that may mean your dog has worms.
