How to Prevent Hookworms in Dogs
To prevent hookworms in dogs, make sure your dog is dewormed once a month to stop hookworm infections from taking hold. While most heartworm medications also treat hookworms, read the label closely to check the medication will do this. Since your dog can catch hookworm from old feces, keep your yard free of dog feces by picking up fresh droppings daily and disposing of them in the trash. And when your dog has its yearly checkup at the vet, if you're able to do so safely, take a stool sample from your dog so the vet can have it checked for parasites. Just be sure to wear gloves when you scoop it into the jar and wash your hands thoroughly after.
Provide your dog with preventative medicine. Deworming your dog frequently will help to control hookworm infections. Most heartworm medication includes medication that is effective at killing hookworm infections. Treating your dog once a month with a deworming medication will keep these pests in check. Mother dogs and puppies should also be dewormed frequently. Pregnancy may reactivate an undetectable infection in mother dogs. A veterinarian should be consulted in order to make sure the dewormer is safe to use on pregnant or nursing dogs and on puppies. Pick up feces. The main step to prevent hookworm infections from spreading is to pick feces up immediately. This keeps any eggs from being able to develop into infective larvae. Fecal material should be picked up immediately after a dog defecates and disposed of in the garbage. If the dog or puppy defecates on a surface that can be cleaned, after picking up all fecal material, it can be disinfected with a dilute bleach solution. This can be made by mixing one part of bleach with nine parts of water. Make sure to spot test the surface to avoid bleaching the material. Avoid letting dogs go to the bathroom where children play. Humans can easily get hookworms from infected feces or contaminated ground. To protect yourself and others, do not let dogs or puppies defecate in areas where children play. This includes playgrounds, sandboxes, and beaches. Take them to a designated potty spot before going for walks in these areas. You should cover children's sandboxes when they are not being used to discourage roaming cats and dogs from using the bathroom in it. If the dog or puppy does defecate in these areas, clean the stool up promptly and thoroughly. Wear protective coverings. One way you can prevent hookworms in you and your family is to wear shoes and other protective coverings. Make sure not to walk barefooted in areas where dogs may have defecated. This is how many cases of dog hookworm infections are acquired by humans. You should take precautions when gardening if your dog or neighborhood dogs or cats defecate in your garden area. If you are to tropical climates, consider wearing shoes on the beach and using protective mats when lying down on the sand. Take your dog for regular checkups. You should take your dog to the vet at least once a year for checkups. You may want to bring a sample of your dog's stool to the checkup to have it examined for possible parasites. This is a simple and quick way to make sure your dog is as healthy as possible. Your vet can perform tests in the office where he can check for parasites if you do not want to bring a stool sample. Recognize the symptoms of hookworms in dogs. Hookworms are parasites that suck the blood from where they attach to the intestines. This means that you dog may show signs of anemia. Your dog may have pale gums or be lethargic due to the blood loss. If a puppy, your dog may have stunted growth due to the hookworms feeding on him and the blood lost. Hookworms attach themselves to the intestines, so the major symptoms of hookworms are related to the digestive tract. Dogs may suddenly lose weight or have bloody diarrhea. Irritation and itching around the paws is a symptom of a large infestation of the environment. Take your dog to the vet. If you believe your dog has hookworms, take him to the vet. Your doctor can perform an exam and take a stool sample to check for hookworms. Your vet will look for eggs floating in the dog's stool. In very young puppies, this method may not be effective for diagnosing because it takes a few weeks for the hookworms to start producing eggs. Your vet may give a young puppy a different test or go ahead and treat him just in case. Treat the hookworms. If your dog has hookworms, you can treat them with medicine. These medicines kill the hookworms. However, these medicines only kill the adult worms, not the eggs or larvae. You will have to give your dog the hookworm medication for two to four weeks to kill any newly hatched worms. These medications are oral medications with very few side effects. You should remove all feces from the yard of the infected dog using gloves to help protect against reinfestation. Learn how hookworms are contracted. The adult hookworm lives in the dog's small intestine attached to the intestinal wall where it sucks blood from the infected dog. The hookworm lays eggs, which pass out of the dog's intestinal tract on the feces. When the dog passes the feces, the feces contain eggs that turn into larva. The eggs develop into infective larvae in five to ten days. If another dog comes along and steps in the area where infected feces are, the larvae can penetrate into the dog's skin. If you or your children come into contact with the infected feces or contaminated ground, the hookworms can get in through your skin. The dog may also manage to get the larva into his mouth either directly from the environment or through eating another animal or even a cockroach infected with hookworms. Your dog may also get hookworms from contaminated water. Puppies can become infected from their mother's when nursing or even while they are developing in the uterus. Know that hookworms can infect humans. There are three primary types of hookworms that infect dogs. Humans can also catch these three types of hookworms by stepping in a contaminated area or coming in contact with infected feces. In humans, the hookworm causes an itchy, painful skin condition as the worm travels through the skin. Treat human hookworm infections. To treat human hookworm infections, your doctor will prescribe a medication to kill the hookworms. The medication is usually taken for one to three days. They generally have very few side effects. If you are anemic due to the hookworms, your doctor may suggest taking iron supplements. 
Provide your dog with preventative medicine. Pick up feces. Avoid letting dogs go to the bathroom where children play. Wear protective coverings. Take your dog for regular checkups. Recognize the symptoms of hookworms in dogs. Take your dog to the vet. Treat the hookworms. Learn how hookworms are contracted. Know that hookworms can infect humans. Treat human hookworm infections. 