Dogs and cats can both get intestinal worms in their stomach which can result in digestive complications and severe discomfort. Animals with worms will typically start vomiting, lose their appetite, become very thin, and may show traces of the insects in their stools. According to Pet MD, there are a variety of different intestinal worms that can affect your animal.

These include roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and hookworms. Roundworms are very small when they are first hatched, and many pets are born with the worms already in their body. The larvae can also be transferred to a new born kitten or pup via the mother's milk. The larvae make their way through the intestinal tract and once inside they will start to grow. Some roundworms can grow up to five inches in length. A mother roundworm can lay up to 200,000 larvae in one day, and these can then infest the pet further. Most of the time a pet that is afflicted with roundworms will have a pot-bellied appearance.

Whipworms are another parasite that is seen most commonly in dogs. Whipworms can be combatted with medication. They are hard to detect, but if a dog seems to be suffering from severe weight loss than this may be an explanation. Hookworms are very small, thin worms that fasten to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood. These worms are likely to transfer from mother dogs to their puppies, and chronic hookworm infestation is a common case of illness in older dogs.

Tapeworms are transmitted to dogs that ingest fleas. Normally, pets will eat fleas when they catch a wild rodent or animal and eat that animal. Tapeworms can grow up to six inches in length, and can have up to 90 segments. Tapeworms can't be killed by over-the-counter wormers. Roundworms and tapeworms can be identified in a pet's waste, but all intestinal parasites can generate the following symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Dry Hair
• Poor Appearance
• Diarrhea
• Blood in Waste

There are some cases where parasites will not generate any symptoms at all until the dog or cat is in a time of stress. Sometimes eggs can lay dormant in the dog's body, and can activate and infest soon to be newborn puppies and kittens when a female is pregnant. If you think that your pet may have intestinal parasites, then you will need to bring a stool sample to your vet for testing. The only way that these parasites can be detected is typically by testing this sample.

Most worms can be killed with a dewormer solution. This is a solution that will depend on the type of worm present because not all worms will respond to the same medications. Some non-prescription wormers will be ineffective in removing the worms from your normal, so you will want to make sure that your veterinarian prescribes the most effective medication.Once you have been given a dewormer, do not mix medications as this could cancel out the effects of one medicine that is effective.

You should monitor your pet for signs of more worms, and take stool samples to your veterinarian on a regular basis to get them tested for more worms. By monitoring the issue you will have a greater chance of prolonging your pet's health. If you want more information about deworming methods of suspect that your pet has worms and want to try and address the problem, hire a local vet today! You can use this directory to locate an animal physician near you that can give you the medications and run the tests that you need to ensure your pet is healthy and happy!