Can I Get Worms from My Dog? The Answer Is a Big Fat Yes.
The bond between us and our dogs is unbreakable, but it comes with a hidden risk: the transmission of worms. Yes, your dog (or cat) can be a source of parasitic infections for children and adults. Understanding how worms are transmitted can help safeguard you and your pets.
How Do Dogs (and Cats) Pass Worms on To Us?
Dogs and cats infected with worms pass eggs or larvae into their faeces, contaminating the soil. Other pets and children can get infected by ingesting this contaminated soil, and adults from gardening. These worms are zoonotic infections, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans, posing a risk of contamination over wide areas, including parks, playgrounds, and gardens, where worm eggs and larvae can survive for extended periods.
What worms can I get from my dog?
Tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms are most common. A tapeworm can live as long as 25 years in the gut and be up to 18 metres (50 feet) in length. A roundworm can live in the gut for two years, be as thick as a pencil and grow to over 30 cm in length. Hookworms live, on average, from 1 to 10 years in the human gut.
How Do Worms Infect People?
The transmission to humans usually happens through indirect contact with contaminated environments. Ingesting microscopic eggs from infected soil or faeces can lead to worm infections. If you have worms, you are passing eggs out in your faeces in the home, which can infect other members of the household.
Who Is at Most Risk?
Anyone can be at risk of a worm infection. Still, children, older people, and individuals with weakened immune systems especially are at heightened risk due to their being more vulnerable or less able to practice good hygiene.
What Harm Can Worms in Dogs Do to People?
The harm varies with the type of worm. Roundworms can lead to tissue damage. Hookworms can cause skin irritation or more severe internal damage, affecting the intestines and other organs. Tapeworms can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea, or vomiting.
How Do I Protect Myself?
Protection begins with your dog or pet. Worming puppies and kittens is essential; follow your vet’s worming schedule. After six months, you can move on to herbal wormers combined with a worm count.
This is Why It’s Important to Worm Count
Test for worms regularly throughout the year and worm if you want to based on the results.
Test for:
- Worms
- Our Combined kit - Worms and Lungworm
- Our Bestseller All-In-One kit - Worms, Lungworm and Giardia
Simply put:
Always wash your hands after contact with pets or outdoor activities, avoid contaminated soil, and clean up after your dog or cat. Make sure children wash their hands thoroughly, too.
You can read more about "What is a worm count, and why would you do one?" in this blog post
Or you can buy our Worm Count for Dogs Kits here.
