Roundworm, commonly called “round worms” or “round worm” is one of the most common worms to infect pets. But round worms can infect humans, too.

We recently received a picture of a worm (posted below) that was discovered by a reader who was wondering what type of worm she found. The worm was found in a puddle in Indiana, where the reader is from (that is, the reader is from Indiana, not the puddle, presumably). We have long awaited a simple question to answer, as we’ve been dealing with some difficult (and strange) questions as of late, and happily this particular reader’s question is within our ability to identify. We are very confident that our reader found a horsehair worm (sometimes known as “Gordian worms”), which is a nematode or roundworm (also spelled “round worm”).

Roundworms, also known as nematodes (and sometimes incorrectly spelled “round worms”), are one of the most diverse animals in the world. Over 28,000 roundworm species have been discovered, well over half of which are parasitic. The present accounting of roundworms is no where near complete, however, as it has been estimated that there are over 1,000,000 species of roundworms on the planet. That is 1,000,000 different species of roundworms, not just the number, of course, of roundworms on the planet in general, which is surely larger by several orders of magnitude. Some people confuse roundworms, and ringworm, probably because ’round’ and ‘ring’ seem similar, however ringworm, which is not actually a worm at all, is something completely different.

If you don’t have your pet screened often, you will have to become familiar with the symptoms of worms. One of the most obvious ways to determine if your dog has worms is to take a quick look at your pets feces. Worms can be seen protruding from your dog’s waste without examining closely.

Most herbal or home remedies should be taken orally for a minimum of two weeks. Some individuals may complain of re-infection. To help avoid this, it is very important to change your eating habits immediately.

Roundworms are easy to contract from dog runs, parks, carcasses, and even from casual contact with other animals. Roundworms can be found around pets’ paws (from scratching around the anus.

The filarial worm larvae transmit the disease through infected mosquitoes. The mosquito bites an infected individual and then it bites an uninfected individual. Once inside the body, the larvae make their way to a particular part of the body and they mature into adult worms.

There are literally thousands of different worm species on the planet today and they play a huge part in helping the earth’s trees, plants, fruits, and vegetables thrive.

The horsehair worm looks like the thin hair of a horse tail. Horsehair worms are typically dark brown in color, but some are tan, yellow or black. They usually peak during the late summer as well as during the fall months.