Dog Whipworm
The dog whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) is a thin-necked intestinal nematode that lives in the cecum and colon of dogs. Heavy infections can cause bloody diarrhea and weight loss.
The dog whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) is a thin-necked intestinal nematode that lives in the cecum and colon of dogs. Heavy infections can cause bloody diarrhea and weight loss.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Dog Whipworm in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Eggs That Last for Years
The thick-shelled eggs, passed in feces, develop in soil over weeks and can stay infective for years. Dogs pick them up while sniffing and licking contaminated ground.
Hard to Catch
Whipworms shed eggs irregularly, so a single fecal test can miss an infection. Monthly heartworm preventives that include milbemycin or similar drugs also remove whipworms.
A Relative of the Human Whipworm
The genus Trichuris includes the human whipworm, and each species infects its own host. See Human Whipworm.
Dog Whipworm at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Trichuris vulpis |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Nematoda |
| Class | Enoplea |
| Order | Trichocephalida |
| Family | Trichuridae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Nematoda (Roundworms & Parasites) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Worm 5 to 7 cm long with a hair-thin front three-quarters threaded into the lining of a dog's large intestine and a thick rear end; eggs are lemon-shaped with a plug at each end. |
| Order | Trichocephalida |
| Host | Dogs |