Can My Kids Get Worms From Our Dogs?

By Le Doc

Dogs and kids go together. Most adults will have special memories of a particular dog if they were lucky enough to grow up with dogs as pets, and the same goes for the kids of today.The one potential drawback to this mutually beneficial relationship is the fact that most dogs will harbour worms at some point in their lives, and these worms can infect kids (and adults) with consequences of varying seriousness.

Now before you boot the poor dog out the front door and put a "for sale" sign up next to the kennel, it needs to be emphasised that although there is a possibility of kids getting worms from the pet dog, a few simple steps will drastically reduce the chance of this ever happening.

Probably the simplest, yet most effective prevention method, is simply getting kids to wash their hands thoroughly before they stick anything in their mouths.This is because almost all dog worms lay eggs that are passed out of the dog and end up in the environment where they can fairly easily find their way onto hands that are playing in the garden.

The second prevention method is directly related to the first. The longer dog feces are left to lie around in the yard, the more likely they are to contaminate the environment with worm eggs and the more chance there is of an inquisitive child coming in contact with it. So the rule is simple, clean up all the dog feces in the yard at least daily.

The third activity you need to undertake is regular deworming of your dog(s).Now this is not necessarily as easy as it may sound, because you have to deworm your dog effectively. This means knowing what type of worms your dog has, and which dewormer will be effective against those worm types.

So the short answer to the question:"can my kids get worms from our dogs" is yes - they can.The smart question would be: "What can I do to prevent my kids getting worms from our dogs" - and the answer to that is - quite a lot!

Le Doc is a Veterinarian. Discover more about Dog Worms and how they impact on the health of your dog and your family!