How common are worms in dogs?

So they're a little more common than what you would think. And that's why we always recommend that our puppies be dewormed and have fecal exam testing done. And then whenever dogs come in for their annual exams, we also recommend they have fecal testing done, especially if they're not on heartworm prevention and can get them from the ground. If you’re in your yard and you potentially stepped in some dog poop from somewhere else and tracked that into your yard, you could have brought some warm eggs in there with you.

Worms are extremely common in dogs, especially in puppies that have not been dewormed enough or stray dogs. However, even pets that have been in a good home for years can develop worms if they are not on a prevention treatment.

The prevalence of worms in dogs depends on their lifestyle. Dogs that stay mostly indoors and are on heartworm prevention are less likely to have worms. However, dogs that often visit parks or stay outside, especially in the southeast, are almost certainly likely to have some type of intestinal worms.

Worms are very common in dogs. They're more common in puppies, but we do see them in dogs of any age.