Intestinal parasites including whipworms and hookworms cause gastrointestinal disease and anaemia in dogs, requiring appropriate prevention and treatment protocols.
Hookworm infections cause significant suffering particularly in puppies, where severe anaemia can be rapidly fatal. Affected dogs show weakness, pale mucous membranes, and bloodstained diarrhoea. Whipworm causes chronic gastrointestinal discomfort with intermittent diarrhoea and weight loss. Both parasites are preventable with appropriate anthelmintic programmes. Environmental persistence means dogs can become reinfected from contaminated ground, making environmental decontamination part of welfare management.