My dog has roundworms. How to protect my kids from infection?

Thank you for your question. If you have treated Dot with a dewormer for roundworms from the pet store, are cleaning up her fecal material and washing hands, then you are doing about everything you can do. That being said, fresh fecal material is not infectious. It takes 30 days for the eggs to become infectious. So if you have not had Dot this long, it is not a concern, but that is why you don't want to leave the feces laying around. Also, I recommend you bring in a stool sample to your first veterinary visit so they can check for parasites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Koga has roundworms. The eggs of intestinal parasites are shed in his poop not from his fur. You need to clean up the stools as soon as he goes to prevent contamination of the environment. Your son should be ok as long as he isn’t eating the poop. Just make sure to wash his hands after he plays with the puppy or before he eats. You will need to treat Koga twice (3 weeks apart) and the you should be all set. Good luck and kisses to Koga!

I certainly understand being concerned! Yes, it is possible that your grandson can get roundworms, but there are measures you can take to prevent that from happening. The eggs are found in the feces, and humans can get them from contact with infected feces and contaminated soil. If Stella has had some accidents in the house, there could be fecal matter in the carpet, and the eggs can survive for some time in the environment. I would make sure to clean up any poop in the home and yard, and disinfect the carpet where she had accidents. Practice proper hygiene, always using gloves to clean up any feces and washing your hands thoroughly afterwards. If you practice good hygiene, don't allow your grandson to touch the feces or ingest contaminated soil, and disinfect the carpet, that will significantly decrease any risk of transmission. I hope this helps!

There are certain worms that can be transmitted from dogs to people, but it's not easy. However, there is a particular concern with kids getting Toxocariasis. If the worms were diagnosed by a veterinarian, then she should be able to find out the species of worms that were discovered and let you know if they are a concern. Below is a link to some good information about the risk of transmission of the common worm for puppies to have. cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/gen_info/faqs.html I hope that helps and all is well with everyone.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that little Billy has roundworms, but with just common sense precautions, your family will be fine. Parasites are sometimes a part of pet ownership, so as long as everyone remembers to wash their hands after playing with Billy, & especially before eating, all will be fine. It was a good idea to crate him until a fecal analysis can be done, but once the appropriate wormer is given you can relax. Take care.

I have attached a handout below with more information for you. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1530 Hookworm eggs are not immediately infectious, so there is no need to wash sheets and bedding. Similarly, there isn't any need to wear gloves when petting Lady or wipe the floor. Humans are most commonly infected from soil that is contaminated with hookworm larvae, so it would not be recommended to go outside barefoot to help prevent infection. Here is more information on humans. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/index.html The best way to prevent infection to yourself or other dogs is to keep Lady and any other dogs on a monthy heartworm preventative that also includes a dewormer for hookworms. And right now, be sure to pick up her stool immediately after she goes, so the eggs don't have time to hatch and get into the soil Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes! Cooper could get the roundwroms from your friends dog if he eats her stool. Hopefully that won't happen. If your puppy is on heartworm prevention then he is also getting dewormed as well. I hope this helps!