All dog owners experience their 4-legged best friend encountering medical issues at some point. Minor infections are easily managed, but it can mean trouble when a healthy pup undergoes something harmful inside them, such as worms. If a proper deworming schedule is not carried out, over time, there can be dire consequences, including the following:
Anemia
Blockage of blood flow in the heart
Inflammation of arteries
Intestinal blockages
In some worse cases, even death
Early signs to watch for that your puppy may be suffering from worms include:
Abnormal breathing
A bloated abdomen in puppies
A dull and brittle coat
Blood in feces
Coughing
Diarrhea
Increased appetite
Poor growth
Vomiting
As always, we highly recommend getting pet health insurance for your dog. It could save you a fortune in the event your pup needs serious health care. It can also cut down the costs on average vet visits. See our article here on the highest rated pet health insurance companies we could find.
5 main Risks of Worms in Dogs
Their Mothers
It is a known fact that approximately 90% of puppies born are already infected with the Toxocara roundworm. This happens because the larvae can pass through the mother to the pups through the placenta. After birth, puppies are prone to get infected through the mother's milk as Toxocara larvae can even find their way into mammary ducts. Since the mother is an invariable infection source, regular deworming every two weeks till the weaning process is a must. If you have a pregnant dog, you can eliminate this risk by utilizing wormer on the pregnant dog. We highly recommend giving momma dog wormer every day from day 40 of pregnancy until 2 days after the puppies are born.
Environment
Toxocara roundworm eggs pass out in the infected animals' feces and mature into an infective stage in the environment. If these infected larvae are eaten, then they can establish infection in your dog. Even polluted grass, food, and water can transmit disease, hence make it a point to pick up the feces. Nursing mothers can get reinfected when they clean up their litter, and so the endless cycle continues as the larvae get shifted through the milk again.
Prey
Dogs, as active hunters run the risk of infection as prey animals such as rabbits and rodents act as a middleman for different types of roundworm and tapeworm that can be life-threatening for dogs.
Fleas
Fleas feed on the most common tapeworm (Dipylidium Caninum) eggs and carry the larvae around with them. If your dog should happen to swallow a flea while grooming, he will most likely get infected. It is essential to give flea and tick preventative treatment coupled with deworming medications for the best results.
Food
There are certain tapeworms like Taenia species that lie in the cyst inside the muscle tissue of an animal host (cow, chicken, etc.), and if the meat is fed raw or under-cooked, they can survive to infect cats and dogs. Do not let this deter you from feeding your dog a raw (B.A.R.F.) diet. See our article here on this very beneficial food plan.
So How Often Should I Deworm My Puppy?
Upon receiving a new puppy (whether from a breeder or shelter) you should have been given a puppy care kit that discusses anticipated vet visits, growth rates, feeding schedules, etc. Within that kit you learn that it is common practice for puppies to be dewormed at:
2 weeks old
4 weeks old
6 weeks old
8 weeks old
12 weeks old
Once your puppy hits the 12 week mark (typically the age when people receive their puppy), you can continue to give your growing puppy dewormer every three months for the remainder of his life. We highly recommend Pancur C. You can get it here on Amazon.
I Found out My Puppy Has Worms! How Long after treatment will Puppy Worms be Gone?
If you find out that your puppy has worms it is vital that you begin treatment as soon as possible to avoid the consequences noted earlier in this article. Your puppy will be treated with deworming medications, usually given twice, per direction of treatment (whether through your Vet or yourself) to catch the adult worms. You will then again treat your puppy 2 to 4 weeks later to catch those that have newly developed.
Welcome to the Pack!
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