Older Maltese Who Suddenly Scratches and Coughs While Resting
Any help will be appreciated.
Intestinal worms don't usually cause a dog to jump up and scratch. Sudden scratching is more often caused by fleas, skin allergies or other skin irritation, so check her coat for fleas or flea dirt.
A throat-clearing cough in an older small-breed dog is worth a vet visit, since common causes include a weakening windpipe (tracheal collapse) and heart disease, and young puppies with roundworms can cough too. Your vet can listen to her heart and lungs and check her skin at the same visit. Keeping her on a year-round parasite preventive and having a stool test once or twice a year is still a good idea.
See worms in dogs.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Tapeworms.
