Whipworm lifecycle in dogs

Learn about the different stages of the whipworm lifecycle in dogs.

A dog-only worm

Whipworm only affects dogs. Many whipworm infections in dogs don’t have obvious clinical signs, but you might notice signs such as bloody diarrhea and mucus in stools.¹

The whipworm lifecycle

It can take around 8 weeks from the time of ingesting whipworm eggs to the time it starts to affect your dog’s health.

1
Adult whipworms lay eggs in the dog’s large intestine.
2
Eggs are passed in the dog’s stools 74-90 days after infection.
3
Eggs contaminate the soil and embryonate, becoming infective within 9-21 days.
4
Embryonated eggs are ingested by the dog through contaminated soil.
5
Eggs penetrate the intestinal wall and develop for 2-10 days.
6
The eggs then move to the cecum where they mature into adults.