Often times you will not see worms in an animal’s stool when they have intestinal parasites. The worms live in the intestines and shed their eggs through the pet’s stool. The eggs can only be found through microscopic examination of the stool, usually done at your veterinarian’s office.  Intestinal parasites can cause a wide variety of symptoms in dogs and cats, including anorexia, weight loss, poor hair coat, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and lethargy, but many animals with worms are asymptomatic and appear healthy. However, even if your pet appears healthy, it is still highly recommended to have a fecal sample checked at least yearly. 

When a dog or cat has intestinal parasites, they shed the eggs through their stool. The eggs can be found throughout the pet’s environment and can survive for years in the soil. When the pet is shedding eggs, people are at risk for becoming infected with the parasites as well. If a person becomes infected with hookworms or roundworms, a serious illness can result, including blindness and significant damage to the skin. Children are especially vulnerable because they are more likely to be infected through sandboxes or the soil outside and they may not practice good hygiene with their pets – more than once I have found my children sharing their snack with our dog - one lick for you, one lick for me.

Even if your pet is an indoor pet, they can still become infested with intestinal parasites and should be checked. They may have had worms when they were a puppy or kitten and were never fully treated or may become infected when they sneaked out the front door for five minutes, or you may have stepped in something unpleasant on your way home and your curious pet had to check it out. The Centers for Disease Control has recently reported that up to 14% of adults have tested positive for an infection with the canine or feline roundworm. Although no data is available yet, we assume this number will be much higher in children. Because of this, veterinarians strongly recommend having your pet’s stool checked for parasites every 6-12 months. Monthly parasite preventatives or periodic deworming is also recommended, even if your pet’s test is negative. These steps, along with good hygiene, including washing your hands after playing with your pet or cleaning their stool, not allowing your pets to lick you on the face, and keeping sandboxes covered and kid’s play areas free of pets, will help keep you and your family safe. Even though it seems gross, bring along that baggy with a sample of your pet’s poop to his next vet appointment. We’ll probably thank you for the present!