How do I know if my dog has worms?

The chances are that you probably won't know if they do, as adult dogs usually don't have any signs of illness. If you wanted to find out, you could ask your veterinarian to send a sample of your dog's faeces to a lab for testing.

Can dogs get worms from fleas?

Yes, dogs can become infected with flea tapeworm when they swallow an infected flea.

Can dogs get worms from raw meat?

Some parasites can be acquired rom infected animal tissue. Raw offal can present a particular parasite risk, including hydatid tapeworm, so owners should discuss the potential risks of feeding raw meat or offal with their veterinarian. 1,3

How often should dogs be wormed?

There isn't one worming schedule that is right for every dog. The appropriate approach depends on the parasites you need to control, your dog's age, lifestyle, exposure risk and the product's approved directions. S peak to your veterinarian for advice on the best worming protocol for your dog, or see our articles on how often to worm your puppy .

Can puppies get worms?

Yes. Puppies are particularly susceptible to some intestinal worms and can acquire roundworms from their mother before birth or through milk, and hookworms through milk. Puppies can also be exposed to worms in contaminated environments, so appropriate and regular parasite protection is important from an early age.

What are the signs of worms in dogs?

Signs can vary depending on the type and number of worms present, and many dogs show no signs at all. When signs do occur, they may include diarrhoea or vomiting, weight loss or poor growth, a swollen or pot-bellied appearance, lethargy, anaemia, or visible worms or segments in faeces. These signs can have other causes, so speak with your veterinarian if your dog is unwell.

Can dogs give worms to people?

Yes, some intestinal worms in dogs are zoonotic , meaning they can pass from animals to people. People can be exposed through routes including contaminated soil or faeces. Good hygiene, prompt faeces removal and appropriate parasite control can help reduce the risk to you and your family. 2

Do all worming products kill all worms?

No, different products have different active ingredients and registered claims. It is important to speak to your veterinarian when choosing which product is right for your dog.

Does all-in-one parasite treatment cover tapeworms?

Not necessarily. Always check the specific product's registered claims. In Australia, Advocate Ultra Chew is the only all-in-one parasite prevention registered to kill tapeworms because it contains the active ingredient praziquantel.

PARASITES

Intestinal Worms in Dogs: What Pet Owners Need to Know

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Reviewed by Dr Emelie Fogelberg, BSc, DVM

Last updated: October 2026

Dogs can be infected with a number of different intestinal worms, but they don't all behave in the same way. Dog intestinal worms have different lifecycles, routes of infection and health impacts on both dogs and people. A dog can even have an intestinal worm infection without looking sick.¹

Understanding which worms affect dogs, how they are picked up and what protection is appropriate for your dog's lifestyle can help you make informed decisions about your dog's parasite control.

What are intestinal worms in dogs?

Intestinal worms are parasites that live in a dog's intestines. The main types include roundwoms, hookworms, whipworm and tapeworms, and each has a different lifecycle and route of infection.

Your dog's risk of picking up worms depends on a number of factors, such as age, lifestyle, location, diet and exposure to other animals, like livestock or wildlife.

How do dogs get intestinal worms?

Dogs can get intestinal worms by swallowing infective eggs or larvae, eating infected fleas or prey, eating contaminated animal tissue, or being exposed to contaminated environments. Puppies can also acquire some worms from their mother.

See 6 Ways Your Dog Could Pick Up Worms for a closer look at the common ways dogs are exposed and what you can do to reduce the risk.

What are the most common intestinal worms in dogs?

Dogs can get several types of intestinal worms, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworm and tapeworms. We will explore each of these in a bit more detail next.

Type of worm	How dogs can get it	Key point
Roundworms	Contaminated environments, infected prey, or from their mother.	Puppies can be particularly infected. Can affect people.
Hookworms	Contaminated soil or infected animals, or from their mother.	Can cause anaemia which, when severe, can cause life-threatening disease, especially in puppies. Can affect people.
Whipworm	By ingesting eggs from contaminated environments.	Can cause large-bowel diarrhoea. Whipworm is not zoonotic.
Tapeworms	Eating infected fleas or infected animal tissue.	Different tapeworms have different routes of infection; some can affect people.

Roundworms

Roundworms are common parasitic worms of dogs, and your four-legged family members can pick them up remarkably easy. Nearly all dogs will become infected with roundworms at some stage in their lives. But unfortunately, you may not be able to tell whether your dog has them! Adult dogs may not show any signs at all, whereas puppies are more likely to become ill when infected.¹

How do dogs get roundworms?

Adult dogs can easily be infected by accidentally swallowing roundworm eggs from areas contaminated with infected dog faeces when they sniff around and explore outside. Small animals, like birds and rodents, can also carry roundworms. If a dog is prone to hunting and eating these animals, this is also a way they can get infected.

Roundworm infections are commonly seen in puppies and can be serious. Puppies can be born with the infection as the larvae in an infected, pregnant dog can travel to the pups through the placenta. The larvae can also travel to the mammary glands, infecting the puppies when they feed. This is why puppies should be dewormed so regularly.¹

What are the signs of roundworm infection in dogs?

Adult dogs usually don't show signs of roundworm infection, but diarrhoea and vomiting may occur in some cases. Puppies are much more at risk, and diarrhoea is a common sign. Additionally, puppies may vomit up whole worms or pass them in their stool. Poor growth and condition and a pot-bellied appearance are also common signs in puppies. In some instances, the larvae can migrate to the lungs of puppies, causing coughing and pneumonia.¹

Can roundworms affect people?

Yes, people become infected when roundworm eggs are accidentally swallowed from soil contaminated with infected dog faeces or eating food contaminated with infected soil (like unwashed, raw vegetables).

After ingestion, the eggs hatch in our intestines and the larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and spread to other parts of our body. It is this migration that causes the symptoms seen in people. Migration to the eyes (ocular larva migrans) causes eye infections which can result in loss of vision. Children are more commonly affected than adults due to poor hand hygiene and putting their hand in their mouths.

Hookworms

Hookworms are unpleasant and dangerous parasites that live in dogs' intestines. While they typically cause mild or no symptoms in adult animals, they can cause serious disease in puppies.

How do dogs get hookworms?

Infected dogs pass hookworm eggs in their faeces. These eggs hatch into larvae in the environment. Your dog can become infected by swallowing hookworm larvae when sniffing, digging or playing in contaminated dirt or grass. Hookworm larvae can also burrow through your dog's skin, often their paws, which can become sore and inflamed. Dogs can also become infected with hookworm larvae from eating infected animals like rodents or birds.

Some hookworm larvae can migrate to the muscles where they stay dormant and are able to escape regular worming treatments. These larvae can later reactivate and if this happens in a pregnant dog, these larvae can travel to the mammary glands and infect the puppies when suckling.¹

What are the signs of hookworm infection in dogs?

Hookworms 'hook' themselves onto the wall of your pet's small intestine and feed on its blood, leaving small, bleeding ulcers where they've been attached. Without treatment this can lead to anaemia, which, if severe enough, can be life-threatening, especially to puppies.

Signs to look out for include:

Pale gums (caused by anaemia)
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Unexplained weight loss
Diarrhoea (may be bloody)
Faeces that are dark or look like tar

Can hookworms affect people?

Yes, people can become infected by ingesting hookworm larvae, or by larvae in the soil burrowing into our skin (cutaneous larva migrans). When migrating through our skin, they cause irritation and a rash, called 'ground itch'. If the larvae reach the intestines, we can suffer with gastrointestinal signs.1

Whipworm

Whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) is a worm that infects dogs and foxes, and lives in their host's large intestine. Can dogs give whipworms to people? No. Whipworm is not zoonotic and does not cause disease in people.1

How do dogs get whipworm?

Infected dogs pass whipworm eggs in their faeces which leads to contamination of the environment. As with roundworms, dogs get infected when they ingest the eggs. This can happen while sniffing, exploring or playing in infected areas.¹

What are the signs of whipworm infection in dogs?

Dogs with light infections usually show no signs of illness. Heavier infections are more likely to cause illness, usually large bowel diarrhoea. Your dog might strain to pass faeces and it can contain blood or mucus.¹

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are different from other intestinal worms because dogs acquire them by ingesting an infected intermediate host, such as a flea or infected animal tissue.¹ There are different types of tapeworms. Next, we will go through flea tapeworm, hydatid tapeworm and Taenia tapeworms.

How do dogs get tapeworms?

Flea tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)

Dogs get infected with flea tapeworm when they swallow an infected flea or louse, for example when grooming. By controlling the flea population on your dog, you can reduce the risk of flea tapeworm infection, but this will not kill any worms that are already in your dog. To kill flea tapeworms already in your dog, you need to give a product that contains the active ingredient praziquantel.

Hydatid tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus)

Hydatid tapeworm is acquired by a dog when they eat infected raw and untreated offal from infected animals, like sheep, cattle, wallaby or kangaroo.^1,3

Taenia tapeworms (Taenia spp)

Dogs pick up Taenia tapeworm infections when they eat infected raw, untreated animal carcasses. This can be from livestock or wildlife, like rabbits and other rodents.

So, if your dog likes to explore, hunt or eat dead animals they find on their walks, tapeworm infections are a risk for your dog and your family.

What are the signs of tapeworm infections in dogs?

More often than not, you won't know if you dog has a tapeworm infection or not because they show no signs of illness.

Flea tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)

In some cases, you may be able to see white, rice grain-sized segments in your dog's faeces or around the back passage. The passing of these segments can cause irritation, causing your dog to 'scoot' its bum along the ground. But not all dogs show signs of infection! Usually there are no signs at all.

Hydatid tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus)

Dogs are very unlikely to show any signs of infection with hydatid tapeworm, so more often than not you won't know if your dog is infected or not. It is therefore important to regularly treat your dog with a praziquantel-containing product, especially as this parasite can infect people and can have disastrous and life-threatening consequences.

Taenia tapeworm (Taenia spp)

Most dogs show no signs of infection at all. If they have a very high worm burden, they may have abdominal signs like diarrhoea or constipation.¹

Can tapeworms affect people?

Yes! Tapeworms can infect people and hydatid tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus) is of particular concern. People become infected by accidentally swallowing hydatid tapeworm eggs shed in infected dog faeces. The resulting disease, called hydatid disease, leads to the development of cysts in our organs, such as the liver, lungs and brain. The cysts can take months to years to develop which means we don't know that we are infected until much later. Surgery is often required to remove the cysts and severe cases can be life-threatening.^1,3

Find out more about hydatid tapeworm, how people can be exposed and how to protect your family here.

Can dogs have worms without symptoms?

Yes, as mentioned previously, some dogs with intestinal worm infections show few or no obvious signs, which is why relying on visible worms or symptoms alone is not a reliable way to assess whether your dog may have a worm infection.¹

When signs do occur, they may include:

diarrhoea or vomiting
weight loss or poor growth
a swollen or pot-bellied appearance
lethargy or poor condition
anaemia, particularly with significant hookworm infection
worms or segments visible in faeces

These signs are not specific to worms. If your dog is unwell, losing weight, has persistent gastrointestinal signs, or you are concerned about a possible worm infection, speak with your veterinarian.

Dogs my dog's lifestyle affect worm risk?

It can. A suburban dog that regularly goes bushwalking, scavenges, hunts wildlife or travels with their family to rural areas may have a very different parasite exposure profile from a dog living in the same suburb with a more home-based lifestyle.

Where your dog goes and what they get up to can influence which parasites they are exposed to. Dogs that scavenge, hunt, eat raw meat or offal, or spend time in areas frequented by wildlife may encounter parasites that another dog rarely comes into contact with.

For practical tips on assessing your dog's individual risk, see 7 things your vet wants you to know about worms in dogs.

Can intestinal worms spread from dogs to people?

Yes, some intestinal worms that infect dogs can also infect people. People can be exposed to certain dog-associated worms through contaminated soil or faeces, or through other routes depending on the parasite. Roundworms, hookworms and some tapeworms can affect people, while whipworm is not zoonotic. Good hygiene, prompt faeces removal and appropriate parasite control can help reduce the risk to you and your family.

Want to learn more about diseases that can spread from animals to people? Read our guide to zoonoses.

How can I protect my dog from intestinal worms?

Choose protection that is appropriate for your dog: There isn't one worming approach that is right for every dog. The appropriate product and interval depend on the parasites you need to control, your dog's age and weight, lifestyle, exposure risk and the product's approved directions.
Reduce environmental contamination: Promptly pick up your dog's faeces in the garden or on your walk and wash your hands. As you will have realised, several worms that infect our dogs can be passed to us as well. Hand hygiene and controlling contamination of our environment, like our garden, are therefore very important.
Avoid scavenging and feeding raw offal: As you will have read, many worms are transmitted to dogs through ingestion of animal tissues. By restricting dogs' access to raw offal from infected livestock or wildlife, we can reduce the risk of infection to both your dog and your family. This is particularly important for the prevention of hydatid disease.^1,3
Don't forget about flea protection: As flea tapeworm is transmitted to dogs by fleas, it is important to include flea prevention in your parasite plan. This will reduce the risk of your dog being infected with this tapeworm. This will not kill any tapeworms that are already in your dog though, so it is always good to use a praziquantel-containing product alongside your flea preventative.

Which worming treatment is right for my dog?

Smart parasite protection starts with the question: what does my dog actually need protection against?

Want broad, all-in-one parasite protection? Choose Advocate^TM Ultra Chew.

Advocate^TM Ultra Chew is the latest innovation in parasite protection for dogs. This monthly chew provides the broadest spectrum parasite protection* against fleas, ticks, demodex mites, heartworm and intestinal worms, including tapeworms. It's the only all-in-one that kills tapeworms too. (Approved APVMA Product Label & Reg. No. 94905/94906/949079/94908/94909)⁵

Prefer a spot-on format? Choose Advocate Spot-On.

Advocate^TM Spot-On is a monthly topical format that protects dogs against fleas, heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, whipworm, oesophageal worm, lice and mites. It has been trusted to protect dogs since 2004. (Note: Advocate Spot-On does not protect against ticks). (Approved APVMA Product Label & Reg. No. 55320/55321/55322/55323/55325/55326)⁵

Looking for an all-wormer tablet that can be combined with other products? Consider Milbemax^TM.

Milbemax^TM is a small tablet that treats and controls roundworms, hookworms, whipworm and tapeworms in dogs, and is a great option to use in combination with a tick and flea product like Seresto^TM.

These three products therefore have different roles, Advocate^TM Ultra Chew provides broad all-in-one coverage, Advocate^TM Spot-On provides a trusted spot-on format, and Milbemax^TM is an all-wormer tablet that can be combined with complementary products. You should match the option to your dog's needs and follow the current label directions.

What should I do if I think my dog has worms?

If your dog is showing signs such as diarrhoea, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, poor growth or lethargy, speak with your veterinarian. Many dogs with intestinal worms show few or no signs, so the absence of visible worms does not rule out infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The most common intestinal worms in dogs are roundworms, hookworms, whipworm and tapeworms. Each has a different lifecycle and may require a different approach to control.¹
: The chances are that you probably won't know if they do, as adult dogs usually don't have any signs of illness. If you wanted to find out, you could ask your veterinarian to send a sample of your dog's faeces to a lab for testing.
: Yes, dogs can become infected with flea tapeworm when they swallow an infected flea.
: Some parasites can be acquired rom infected animal tissue. Raw offal can present a particular parasite risk, including hydatid tapeworm, so owners should discuss the potential risks of feeding raw meat or offal with their veterinarian.^1,3
: There isn't one worming schedule that is right for every dog. The appropriate approach depends on the parasites you need to control, your dog's age, lifestyle, exposure risk and the product's approved directions. Speak to your veterinarian for advice on the best worming protocol for your dog, or see our articles on how often to worm your puppy.
: Yes. Puppies are particularly susceptible to some intestinal worms and can acquire roundworms from their mother before birth or through milk, and hookworms through milk. Puppies can also be exposed to worms in contaminated environments, so appropriate and regular parasite protection is important from an early age.
: Signs can vary depending on the type and number of worms present, and many dogs show no signs at all. When signs do occur, they may include diarrhoea or vomiting, weight loss or poor growth, a swollen or pot-bellied appearance, lethargy, anaemia, or visible worms or segments in faeces. These signs can have other causes, so speak with your veterinarian if your dog is unwell.
: Yes, some intestinal worms in dogs are zoonotic, meaning they can pass from animals to people. People can be exposed through routes including contaminated soil or faeces. Good hygiene, prompt faeces removal and appropriate parasite control can help reduce the risk to you and your family.²
: No, different products have different active ingredients and registered claims. It is important to speak to your veterinarian when choosing which product is right for your dog.
: Not necessarily. Always check the specific product's registered claims. In Australia, Advocate Ultra Chew is the only all-in-one parasite prevention registered to kill tapeworms because it contains the active ingredient praziquantel.