No. Worms or eggs are often not visible to the naked eye. That’s why a laboratory test is more reliable.
A dog can become infected with worms by ingesting eggs or larvae from the environment, for example through contaminated grass, soil, or the feces of other animals. Puppies can already be infected by their mother, either in the womb or through the mother’s milk. Fleas also play a role: when a dog swallows an infected flea, it can become infected with tapeworms. In addition, infection can occur through eating raw meat or prey animals, and through contact with other infected animals.
We routinely test your dog’s stool for coccidia and eggs of roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. For this, we use the sedimentation-flotation technique.
You can order additional tests for giardia and/or French heartworm. For giardia, we use an additional antigen test of the parasite, and for French heartworm, we use the Bearmann method.
If the stool examination shows that your dog is infected with worms, we will provide you with a personalized treatment recommendation. This way, your dog’s health comes first, and unnecessary deworming is avoided.
Yes. Some worms and parasites in dogs are zoonotic, meaning they can also infect humans. Well-known examples are roundworms and the single-celled parasite Giardia. Children are especially at risk of infection while playing in the garden or sandbox. Good hygiene, regular cleaning up of feces, and periodic stool testing reduce the risk of transmission.