If your dog is a pup, chances are that you have at least heard about the problems that worms can pose to their well-being. Worms are a prevalent affliction for dogs, primarily those under six to eight months old. They are as prevalent as flea bites and just as easy to cure, if not simpler - if you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing and you are a new dog owner, that is okay too; your vet should know all that you don't know about worms and how to rectify the situation. Just in case, here are the essentials and causes of worms in dogs.

Roundworms are the worms that are most generally found in puppies, and they are easy to cure. Usually, you can buy a treatment for roundworms that is given to your dog orally; they will release the worms through their excrement, dead later on. Puppies who suffer from roundworms tend to have round, bulky bellies even if they haven't eaten all day and the pot-belly syndrome can get progressively worse as these worms can grow up to seven inches or more in length. The causes of worms in dogs as far as roundworms are concerned are in the soil; these worms can lay eggs that are surrounded by a hard shell. The eggs come out in a dog's excrement and can live in the soil for as long as it takes for them to be ingested. Once the dog swallows the soil, the worm larvae moves up the dog's throat, finally landing in the intestine where they grow unless they are eliminated. Other than soil contamination, mother dogs can transfer roundworms to their puppies during pregnancy.

Hookworms are another type of generally found parasitic worm. The causes of worms in dogs of this type are very similar to roundworms. Like roundworms, they can come into contact with dogs through pregnancy or infected soil. This is a type of parasite that is generally found in puppies and if left untreated, it can kill a puppy so it is imperative to make sure that puppies are dewormed, even if you are unsure whether or not they are infected.

These are just a couple of the many different types of parasitic worms that can harm your dog. If you suspect that your dog is infected with worms, the best thing that you can do for him or her is to take them to the veterinarian. Deworming services are fairly inexpensive and a stool check and standard deworming is usually part of the routine checkup for younger dogs. Be sure to clean up your dog's excrement from the yard as often as possible and consult your vet if you are in doubt. While they can infect adults and even people, these types of worms are more prevalent in dogs and can kill if not treated properly.