Puppies and Worms

From LoveToKnow Dogs

It isn't a pleasant thought, but most puppies have parasites that need to be dealt with. Learn more from expert Wendy Nan Rees.

Keep them healthy.

Puppies and Worms

Here's an interesting fact: many puppies are born with worms. If your puppy's mother was infested with worms, possibly from eating the feces of another pet or brought into your yard by another animal, and the puppy was in utero at the time, your puppy may have worms. Not an appealing thought, but a fact we should all know. Learn to recognize worms, and then learn how to handle them.

The worms that most puppies are born with are a worm called the roundworm. There are several other intestinal worms that can infect puppies, which is why it is very important the puppy is dewormed. The puppy has to be at least two weeks old to be dewormed and follow-up treatments usually take place at the ages of four, six and eight weeks to make sure that the infestation is completely gone. You should have a fresh stool sample checked for any parasites when taking your puppy in for booster shots and check-ups.

Other Parasites

Here are some other intestinal parasites: whipworm, hookworms and tapeworms. The tapeworm comes from a flea. Worms are something you absolutely want the vet to check for. Although they sell over-the-counter worm products, choosing the right product can be a gamble because you may not know exactly which type of worms your dog may have. Another reason to be so vigilante about worms is that they can be passed to you and your children from your puppy or dog. A good rule of thumb is to be sure to wash your and your children's hands every time you touch your puppy or dog and especially after cleaning up his waste.

There are three ways to tell if your puppy or dog has worms. One way to tell is if the puppy isn't growing properly or gaining weight as he should. Another way is to watch your puppy defecate. If your dog has worms, you should be able to see rice-like specks with black ends upon close inspection. Sometimes those specks may still be moving. In severe cases, you can actually see worms protruding from the anus. In this case, you should hurry to your local vet. In any of these cases, you need to collect the stool and bring it to your vet's office and let them do the work. Here is how to collect your puppy's stool sample the right way.

How to Collect a Fresh Stool Sample

One of your new official jobs as a pet parent is to be able to collect a fresh stool sample so that your vet can look into it for any parasites and see how your dog is digesting his food. For just this reason, I always have a box of latex-free, non sterile gloves around the house. Another good thing to keep on hand is a box of zippable sandwich bags.

Most dogs are ready to have a bowel movement first thin in the morning, so you'll want to have a clean Ziploc bag ready and label it with a marker. The following information is what you want to put on the bag:

Your name
Your pet's name
The date and time of collection

Put on the gloves and get a piece of cardboard or a poop scooping spatula to scoop the poop into the bag. Seal the bag tightly, and give it to the vet immediately. You will want to deliver the sample to your vet's office as soon as you can; the fresher the better. This is not something you can have sitting around the house or in your refrigerator.

Most of the worming medication that the vet prescribes comes in pill form; sometimes it is a liquid, but this is something the vet will administer. As with all medication, be sure to complete the prescription even if the worms appear to be gone. By this point, your dog or puppy should be totally worm-free.