Roundworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. They infect the small intestine of animals, growing to be 5-7 inches long. Pets often show no signs of infection. The most common symptoms of roundworm in your pet are vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and decreased appetite. Heavily infected dogs and cats can have a potbelly appearance. In very severe cases, death can occur.
The good news is prevention and treatment are simple, safe, and not too costly. If you suspect an active infection, tests are available. If your pet is on monthly heartworm preventative, it is likely that this same medication already protects your pet from roundworms. Roundworms are a zoonotic infection (meaning pets can catch it from humans and vice versa). Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control recommend that pets not using heartworm preventative be dewormed every three months.
Puppies and kittens of only two to three weeks of age can often have worms. This happens when worms are passed from a mother to her litter before they are born. Sometimes they are passed to the puppy or kitten through the mother’s milk. Roundworms can be passed through swallowing dirt that has dog or cat feces with worm eggs or larvae.
Roundworms can even infect humans when the soil or plants that have been contaminated with infected animal feces is accidentally put in the mouth and ingested. [1] Children are more vulnerable to this than adults, because they play more on the ground and may put dirty objects in their mouths.
Learn more:
What Every Pet Owner Should Know About Roundworms & Hookworms. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/resources/web/roundworms_hookworms.html
[1] Hough R.L. Soil and human health: an epidemiological review. European Journal of Soil Science. 2007 Oct; 58: 1200-1212.
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