Small white worms found in dog feces!?

Question

We have a dog and are dog-sitting a 3 month old bobtail. We noticed these small white worms in a fece in our back yard. We will make sure to take them to the vet. Are these worms dangerous to humans? Is it contageous?

Answer 1

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It is likely tape worm segments, and humans aren't apt to get them, unless they ingest the fleas....Tape worms are transmitted through eating an infected (egg carrying) flea.

Good normal hygeine (handwashing before eating, etc) will assure you don't get dog worms of any kind.

Your vet will give meds, and all will be fine.

Source(s):

dog breeder since 1968

Answer 2

Take you dog to the vet. Take a sample (I know - yuck) of the stool with you. The vet will give you medication for your dog and probably some for the one you are taking care of.
Depending on the parasite, some of them are transferred to humans. Check with the vet on this. You may need medication for yourself.

Answer 3

Take your dog to the vet to determine what type of parasite it is so it can be treated properly

Round worms are contagious to humans and other animals if you/they ingest the infected animals feces.

Source(s):

Siberian Husky Breeder
Pending Pet Rescue

Answer 4

It is most likely round worms which are not extremely contagious and hard for adults to catch from a dog but be sure you wash your hands after coming into contact with the worms or excrement. Also take a fresh sample of excrement with you to the vet's office.

Answer 5

yes they are. the dog is probably malnutritioned due the worms take all the nutrients from the dog's digested food before the dog can absorb it in its blood. and if u notice ur dog rubbing its butt on the ground or carpet its because the worms are irritating him and his bowel movements. me and my brother found a cat and it had those waorms in its poop and we had to get shots in our butts for whatever possible diesease those worms carry. and my brother was around the cat all the time and slept with the cat and his hair started to fall out. so yes keep the dog outside til u take it to the vet and lysol ur house and where ever the dog laid at in ur house.

Answer 6

not to humans, they will give u medicne at the vet and it clears it up right away. Really not a big deal.

Answer 7

I think yes they are probably pin worms

the dog can be treated with a wormer the vet may want a sample to find out what kind of worms they are for sure

but pinworms are very contagious

Answer 8

If they are about the size of grains of rice, it is probably tapeworms. The dog got them either from fleas or from eating a rodent. You won't pick up these species of tapeworm form the dog.
If they are thin and long, it is most likely a roundworm. The dog could have picked them up just about anywhere.

Roundworms are zoonotic (animal disease that can be passed to humans). Although the worms will not mature in a human, if a human (usually a young child) accidentally ingests a roundworm egg, the larvae will hatch and try to travel through the body, causing visceral larval migrans (the larvae travel through the gut) or, more frightening, ocular larval migrans (the larvae travel to the eye). This is very rare, and as long as the feces is cleaned up regularly, the eggs do not have the chance to develop to that stage. And of course, wash your hands!

Source(s):

I am a veterinary technician.

Answer 9

If the worms are flat and look like small grains of rice, they are tape worms. The flea is the intermediate host. The dog eats the flea which carry the tape worm eggs and the tape worms hatch. They are segmented and the small "rice" like worms you see are only segments of the adult worm.

If the worms are long and round like spaghetti, they are round worms. Most puppies are born with round worms because they can be passed from the mother dog.

People can and do become infected with both types if they don't practice good hygiene. It's more common in children because they more often play in the dirt where animals defecate and then put their fingers in their mouths.

The vet can give you a medication to give the dog to rid of both types. It will take two wormings to kill the adults and then the remaining worms that hatch later.

Source(s):

Personal experience as a vet tech and pet sitter

Answer 10

It definately sounds like a tapeworm and yes it is contagious to humans and other animals. It is transmitted (usually) by the injestion of fleas but can be transmitted by touching (or for other animals eating) the dogs' stool (this is only if the worms are still alive--usually within half an hour of being passed).

Get the dog on a dewormer, Nemex 2 is excellent and works wonders. I'd suggest a bag of Lime or even bleach in the yard so you are sure you kill all remnents of the worms.

Answer 11

take your dog to a vet and get it dewormed. Most puppies are born with worms. But 1 visit should help at the vets. And please don't let this dog sleep in your bed. You would be surprise about the worms in your bed. Don't mean to gross you out. But it happens.

Answer 12

Sounds like tape worms. Get your dog wormed, now. It is very dangerous to let go.

Answer 13

Could these be maggots from a fly on the poop?

Answer 14

Your dog has worms, and it needs to be taken to a vet for worming. The worms will eventually die off, but it's probably better not to mess with them, other tnan maybe burrying the crap.

Answer 15

If they look like rice grains,it is tapeworm.Can humans get it , yes if your are immuno-compromised like have diabetes or aids or are a child.These come from fleas so go to the vets,confirm the worm and treat accordingly.Luckily a very easily treated parasite that only usually needs one dose of a special dewormer from the vets.

Source(s):

RVT

Answer 16

The vet's office will give you some de-wormer pills that will fix it in days. But beware, the pills will cause the dog to poop all the worms that are inside. Quite disgusting, but very common.

Answer 17

I'm not sure if the worms are contageous. I would take your dog to the vet to get dewormed. If you don't I have heard that the worms can end up going into the dogs heart and killing them. So I would go ASAP.

Answer 18

yes humans can catch them...but you can buy meds ur self to take care of it its a pill and all u do is crack in in their food and continue for about a week and it'll be fine =D