Nobody likes me
Everybody hates me
Going down the garden to eat worms
Big, fat, juicy ones
Long, thin, slimy ones
What can I do about worms?
Some worms can affect people - Toxocara can cause a disease called Visceral/ocular Larva Migrans where the worm migrates around the body, most famously causing issues in eyes and brains. It's not just a 3rd world problem, the incidence in the UK is around 50-100 new cases of ocular larval migrans per year, mostly in boys under 6 years old. (1)
So how common is Toxocara in dogs?
Less than 5% of adult dogs will shed these eggs at anyone time (2). It's most common in dogs under 6 months of age, due to the fact that the worms transmit from the bitch across the placenta and in the milk to the puppies. These worms look like spaghetti when passed by pups, and can give the pups a pot bellied appearance.
To be a responsible dog owner, we know we need to pick up the poop, especially if our dog poos on a public playing field or park. In fact, picking up the poo is more effective than deworming to reduce contamination of the environment with toxocara from dogs, according to this dutch study (3).
Outdoor cats, stray cats and foxes also contribute to the toxocara problem.
Knowing if your adult dog is one of the 5% shedding worms at anyone time is easy to do - send a poo sample off to a canine poo lab for a worm egg count - do this every 3 months for pups under a year, and every 6 months for adult dogs.
Natural de-wormers - there are lots of urban myths out there, ones I could find evidence for include minced raw garlic (4) offered every single day and Pumpkin seeds.
Freshly chop raw organic garlic and let the garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes before offering it to your dog alongside their food. This will help release the beneficial compounds that fight off the worms. Then you can give your dog the following amount.
Small dogs– up to ¼ clove twice a day
Medium dogs – up to ½ clove twice a day
Large dogs – up to ¾ clove twice a day
Giant breeds – up to 1 clove twice a day
Caution: Don’t use garlic as a worm remedy for pregnant or lactating dogs, or if your dog is on blood thinners.(5)
Pumpkin seeds.
They contains an amino acid called Cucurbitacin which paralyzes parasites in the digestive tract allowing your animal to pass them easily and prevent parasites from attaching in the future.(6,7)
Grind seeds and give ¼ tsp per 5kg of weight once or twice a day until the parasites are gone. Pumpkin seeds are safe for pregnant dogs.
Grapefruit seed extract. I couldn't find any evidence that GSE is either safe or effective. Do contact me if you find good evidence!
Rabbit ears. Again, no good evidence, but no harm either.
The best way to ensure your dog it not a friendly host for worms, is a healthy diet that helps build a strong immune system. Support the immune system with healthy foods that include good amounts of zinc, vitamin D and other immune boosting nutrients. For more about how to include these nutrients in your dog's diet, contact me for guidance. Minimising or eliminating highly processed food from your pet's diet is the biggest step you can make towards reducing the amount of chemical de-wormers you will need.
Bottom line - send away your dog's poo for a worm egg count repeatedly - every 3 months for dogs under one year, and every 6 months for adults.
Pick up, bag and dispose of EVERY SINGLE POOP
As to the hand hygiene of small boys - err... good luck with that!
Gillespie S Toxocara: dogwalking and playing fields British Journal of Sports Medicine 2001;35:6-7.
Patterson J. Toxocarosis in humans: how much of a problem is it in the UK? Drug Ther Bull. 2023 Jan;61(1):7-11. doi: 10.1136/dtb.2022.000052. PMID: 36543343.
Nijsse R, Mughini-Gras L, Wagenaar JA, Franssen F, Ploeger HW. Environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs: a quantitative approach to estimate the relative contributions of dogs, cats and foxes, and to assess the efficacy of advised interventions in dogs. Parasit Vectors. 2015 Jul 28;8:397. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-1009-9. PMID: 26216217; PMCID: PMC4517363.
Buckley, L. (2019). Is There Any Evidence to Support the Use of Garlic as a Wormer for Dogs and Cats in the UK?. Veterinary Evidence, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v4i2.163
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/everyday-foods-to-get-rid-of-dog-worms/
Alhawiti AO, Toulah FH, Wakid MH. Anthelmintic Potential of Cucurbita pepo Seeds on Hymenolepis nana. Acta Parasitol. 2019 Jun;64(2):276-281. doi: 10.2478/s11686-019-00033-z. Epub 2019 Feb 18. PMID: 30778840.
Amin, T., & Thakur, M. (2013). Research article cucurbita mixta (pumpkin) seeds-a general overview on their health benefits. Int J Recent Sci Res, 4(6), 846-854.
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