The information you need about worming your puppy
Whether you’ve got a little puppy or an older dog, protecting your pet from intestinal worms is important.
However, it can be a minefield for new dog owners trying to understand everything. For example, what are the signs that your dog might have worms? How often should you be worming your puppy?
We’ve put together a handy guide to give you all the answers to your dog worming questions.
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What do you need to know about intestinal worms?
It might not be the nicest subject to discuss, but it’s important to know about the worms your dog is at risk of getting.
Ways your dog could get worms:
- It can pass from the mother to the puppy if she gets worms while pregnant.
- They can pick them up from other infected animals.
- They can also be exposed to worm eggs in infected urine, grass or even faeces.
Types of intestinal worms
Roundworms
The most common worms that puppies are afflicted with are roundworms. Please note that roundworms can be passed on to humans – so take care to wash hands thoroughly.
The signs of roundworm infections will depend on whether you have an adult dog or a puppy.
In dogs, the infection can cause symptoms ranging from milder abdomen pain to blindness! It can be very dangerous for young puppies, even leading to death in serious cases.
Lungworms
This is an extremely dangerous disease for dogs which can cause a threat to life. It’s usually spread through canines eating snails or slugs. As foxes too are at risk of infection, the worm larvae can be spread in fox faeces.
Infections with lungworm can be fatal if not diagnosed quickly and treat promptly. If you suspect lungworm infection, you should visit your vet for diagnosis and carry out their suggested treatment. If caught early and treated, it thankfully usually results in a full recovery.
Tapeworm
You’ll find that this dog worm infection is not as common as tapeworm. Dogs that are fed on a raw diet or allowed to hunt are at greater risk of suffering from tapeworm.
However, it’s still possible that they may catch it from swallowing fleas whilst grooming themselves. The parasites are usually harmless unless your dog is very active. In many cases, tapeworm may not even cause clinical symptoms.
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How do you know if your dog has worms?
There are individual symptoms that are connected to each type of worm. In puppies, the most common sign is a swollen abdomen or lack of growth.
Other common signs to watch out for are a change in appetite (having no appetite or always being hungry), or episodes of diarrhoea.
Common signs your puppy has worms:
Seeing worms in your dog’s vomit or faeces.- Vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Weight loss or lack of growth in puppies.
- Appetite changes (more hungry than usual).
- Their coat loses its shine and becomes listless.
- Dogs dragging their behinds on the ground.
- Lethargy or dropping energy levels.
If you’re concerned about a puppy or dog having worms, it’s best to get them checked out by a vet to be safe.
Why worming your dog is important
Many dogs might have cases of worm parasites and be unaffected. However, if the burden of the worm infection becomes too great it can cause serious complications.
Keeping your dog regularly wormed also means it’s less likely to pass on the infections to other animals and even humans. A case of roundworms can be dangerous if a young child comes into contact with a badly worm-infested dog.
Can worms affect your puppy’s health?
Worm infections can range from mild to severe. The more serious worm infections cause pet deaths and serious side effects.
It can affect everything from their energy levels to their coat conditions. It can cause a lack of growth in puppies
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When should you worm your dog?
Previously every adult dog was advised to be wormed regularly. However, now the approach is much more tailored to each breed and its risks of exposure.
For example, older dogs might not need to be wormed as often as their risk of being infected goes down.
Routine for worming your puppies
The majority of dog breeders will worm a puppy ready for their forever homes. Typically receiving their first worming treatment around 8 weeks of age. Followed by a worming treatment every 2 weeks until they’re 12 weeks old.
You should speak with your vet about setting up a deworming routine for your puppy. However, as a general rule, after 12 weeks your puppies should be wormed once a month until they are six months old.
If you suspect a worming infection, always consult your vet before implementing deworming treatments.
Easy tips to follow for worming your dog
- Do your research first. There are a number of dog worming treatments out there. Make sure you use one that suits your pet.
- Talk to your vet before setting up a worming routine as they will suggest the most suitable worming protocol to follow.
- Keep any worming treatments out of reach of other children and other animals in the household.
- Wash your hands after completing any worming treatment or if you’ve picked up dog poo.
- Keep a calendar of dog worming dates and which dog worming products you used. Setting reminders on your phone can help you keep on top of worming treatments.
- If you’re a multi-pet household, try to carry out all worming treatments around the same time.
- If you decide to feed your dog raw meat, then it will likely need to be wormed more regularly.
- Always pick up your dog’s poo wherever you are. This should help limit the spread of worms to other animals.
- If your dog is pregnant, carry out any safe worming treatments. This should help limit the risk of contamination to the litter.
- Wherever possible, prevent your pet from scavenging. You’ll find that some dogs don’t like to do this anyway. But keeping all dogs (where possible) away from dead or rotting animal carcases will limit the risk of infection.