Understand the infection risks of individual parasites

Parasites look very similar. If you want to know which one is torturing your dog, you must first understand the transmission route of each parasite. Roundworms are usually passed from an infected female dog to her puppies. Their eggs and larvae can cross the placenta and infect puppies in the womb, and the eggs can also penetrate into the mother's milk. Therefore, you should deworm your puppy regularly. Tapeworms are usually transmitted to dogs by ingesting tapeworm-infected pests (such as rats) or by fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. Therefore, hunting dogs or flea-infested dogs are most susceptible to tapeworm infection. Hookworms and whipworms grow in moist soil, and dogs that frequently run on grass are most susceptible (especially in warm, humid climates). Dogs that live in kennels and roam on public lawns are most commonly infected with this parasite. Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and other insects and is common in mosquito-infested areas. High-risk areas include the southeastern and midwestern United States, the Atlantic Coast, Australia, Japan, China, Southeast Asian countries, and western and southern Africa. Lungworm infection is increasingly common and is spread through fox droppings, slugs and snails. Infection is possible through contact with any host.

Pay attention to your dog’s physical signs

Most of the symptoms of parasitic infection are very common and not obvious. Therefore, you cannot diagnose which parasite your dog is infected with based on symptoms. However, if your dog has not been dewormed recently, there are some signs of infection worth looking out for and then further confirming the type of parasite.

Check for parasites in feces

Sometimes, you may find evidence of parasites in the feces even if your dog shows no symptoms of infection. If you're not sure which type of parasite it is, collect it in a container with a screw-top lid and take it to a veterinary clinic for identification. It is difficult to distinguish the appearance of most parasites with the naked eye, so collecting parasites is more helpful to veterinarians than verbal descriptions.