Pet owners who have developed the habit of observing their pets more closely can quickly detect any abnormal changes, even in their pet’s elimination. If you find worms in your dog’s stool, you can bring a stool sample to your veterinary clinic for examination. However, the question of whether the worm was excreted with your dog’s feces or found its way into the waste material still exists. If you have noticed the worm soon after the feces were voided, the answer is quite obvious. However, if your dog had defecated in the yard and you chance upon the stool later, the crawling creatures you may find are likely maggots or earthworms.

It should be noted that dogs that don’t pass visible worms in their stool are not necessarily free of gastrointestinal parasites. Most dogs with parasites only pass microscopic eggs with their feces. This is an important reason why veterinarians recommend routine stool exam to check for the presence of intestinal parasites. If the worms were excreted with the dog’s feces, he needs to be given appropriate medication to address the infection. If several species of intestinal parasites are observed during the fecal exam, your animal hospital Las Vegas NV may recommend a broad-spectrum medication that will eliminate the worm population.