What kinds of Worms Can Dogs Pass to Humans?
There are three kinds of canine worms that can make a home in a human host: roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.
The first two are the most common culprits, but tapeworms can be contracted on rare occasions.
You have probably heard that ringworm can also be passed from animals to people.
Ringworm, however, is not actually a worm, but a fungal infection.
If your dog has roundworms living in its intestines (and sometimes there are no outwards signs of an infestation), the eggs will be excreted in the dog’s feces.
The eggs become infectious after two weeks, at which point they become a problem for people.
The eggs may stick to people’s hands or feet, or can even be ingested on occasion.
They can also be passed directly from the dog to a person if the dog has transferred eggs from its anus to its mouth while cleaning itself.
Roundworms in the lungs may cause the host human to develop a nasty cough. An infection in the eye can potentially cause blindness.
And roundworms in the intestines have the potential to wad up into a ball and cause a blockage.
Long, stringy worms may become visible in the infected person’s stool, if the condition gets bad enough.
As with roundworms, hookworm eggs are found in dog feces. After about a week in the outdoors, the larvae hatch. If they come into contact with skin, they are able to latch on and burrow into the new host.
An itchy rash at the point of penetration is the most obvious of the symptoms of a hookworm infection.
Winding red trails may also be visible as the worm eats a path for itself under the skin. Severe cases may cause diarrhea, and can lead to weight loss and anemia.
There are several types of tapeworm, but the kind that most commonly afflicts dogs is the flea tapeworm.
As the name suggests, flea tapeworms are passed along to dogs if the dog ingests an infected flea. The same thing can happen to a person, though it’s rather rare.
Tapeworm infections often produce no noticeable symptoms. It may be possible to spot tapeworm segments (they break up into pieces) in stool as they are passed from the body.
If symptoms are presented, they will usually take the form of digestive issues such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
Two other, less common species of tapeworm, Taenia and Echinococcus can also be contracted from eggs found in dog feces.
These species can cause the formation of cysts in the body, typically in the lungs or the liver. Known as hydatid cysts, they have been known to measure a foot or more across.
Plus, wherever dogs or other animals go to the bathroom, worm eggs can be left behind in the soil. Certain worm larvae (young worms) can also get into the body by burrowing into the skin. Either way, dogs can be at risk through contact with contaminated soil long after the poop is removed.
If your dog is ever diagnosed with worms, your veterinarian will prescribe a deworming medication as treatment. If youre prescribed a dewormer, its imperative to follow directions. Not all dewormers are equal, and some work well for certain parasites and not others. Most must be repeated at specific time intervals (often 2-3 weeks apart) to be sure the worms are completely gone.
The good news is, weve got lots of options for parasite control these days. Preventing worms — and all of the problems that could come with them — can be very simple.
Your dog can pick up certain types of worms by ingesting a smaller animal, such as a mouse, that’s infected. And, your dog doesn’t have to be a natural hunter for this to happen — they might come across a dead animal during their walk and try to pick it up with their mouth.
A common example is the roundworm, which normally inhabits the digestive tract but can migrate to other parts of the body. This is common in children and can lead to blindness, or problems with internal organs such as the liver, lungs, or central nervous system.
How does my veterinary hospital perform fecal parasite testing?
Fecal testing must be performed on fresh feces. Your veterinarian may have you bring a fresh sample from home, or they may collect a small sample directly from your dog’s rectum.
A fresh fecal sample is mixed with a special solution in a vial and either centrifuged (spun at high speeds) or allowed to sit undisturbed for a predetermined period of time. The purpose of centrifugation or undisturbed fecal flotation is to isolate parasite eggs at the top of the vial. The material that rises to the top of the vial is then examined under the microscope, to look for the presence of worm eggs and other microscopic parasites.
In some cases, your veterinarian may also perform a fecal smear. This involves placing a small amount of your dog’s feces on a microscope slide and examining it directly under the microscope, without any special processing. Fecal smears are primarily used to diagnose Giardia, although they can also be used to obtain other information about your dog’s intestinal health.
Intestinal worms in puppies! How to diagnose and treat roundworms in the puppy.
The question of whether or not your dog can give you worms (or any disease or infection, for that matter) is a very good one.
We give our dogs all manner of pills and tablets to help them ward off parasites, but we do nothing for ourselves. Is that because they’re not a problem for humans, or should we be more concerned?