The whipworm is one of the four most common intestinal parasites of dogs. Whipworms reside in the cecum, which is inside your dog's body where the small intestine and large intestine meet. Dogs become infected with whipworms by swallowing infective whipworm eggs in soil or other substances that may contain dog feces.
How contagious are whipworms in dogs?
Whipworms are not spread directly from dog to dog, but if your dog comes into an environment where another pet has released infective eggs (in their feces), then your dog can potentially become infected.
How are whipworms transmitted?
How is whipworm spread? Whipworms live in the intestine and whipworm eggs are passed in the feces (poop) of infected persons. If the infected person defecates (poops) outside—for example, near bushes, in a garden, or field—or if the feces of an infected person is used as fertilizer, then eggs are deposited on the soil.
Can dogs give other dogs whipworms?
Unlike some other common intestinal parasites in dogs, whipworms cannot be transmitted via other species/hosts or between mother and offspring before birth or during nursing. Infection does not require direct contact with another dog.
Can whipworms in dogs be transmitted to humans?
While acquiring parasites from a dog is possible, whipworms are species specific and unable to spread from dogs to humans, so a lick from an infected dog will not spread the parasite to you.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
Can whipworms in dogs be transmitted to humans?Can whipworms be passed through saliva?
