Internal parasites also infect puppies, so the first antiparasitic dose is often given at two weeks.
It is not uncommon for dog puppies to harbour parasites in their body at birth. However, these frequent intestinal worms in young can be dangerous to vulnerable hatchlings. Sometimes the pregnant mother herself transmits the parasites to the puppies during pregnancy or subsequent lactation. This explains why you should go to the vet soon and start appropriate deworming treatment. Also, hygiene is essential to fight worms.
“Deworming is essential for our health and that of our puppy,” explains the Madrid Association of Companion Animal Veterinarians (AMVAC). In the event of any suspicion that the puppy has parasites, a visit to the vet is essential.
Roundworms and tapeworms are two types of intestinal parasites common in dogs, which also affect puppies. The fundamental difference between these worms lies in their shape. While roundworms are roundworms, shaped like a string, the tapeworm is a type of flatworm, more like a ribbon.
Despite their different physiognomy, both are harmful intestinal parasites, which reach the baby’s digestive system with the same intention: to feed on the food that the small and vulnerable puppy ingests.
The organism of an infected pet reacts virulently to these visitors from its gut. Among the signs that can warn that our dog harbours parasites, there are diarrhoea and vomiting. At other times, our dog may suffer annoying flatulence or constipation problems. Worms and tapeworms cause, at the same time, a general loss of health in the puppy.
Worms are transmitted from the mother to the puppies
Sometimes the mother transmits these harmful parasites to the puppies during pregnancy or subsequent lactation, through breast milk, if the mother is infected.
It is not uncommon for dog puppies to harbour parasites in their bodies at birth.
A pregnant mother can transmit her parasites to the puppies that grow inside her. Although the best option is prevention, especially when the dog is waiting for the puppies, it is not always in time to fight intestinal worms.
“Prevention is the best strategy to avoid infection by internal worms in a pregnant dog,” says veterinarian Diana Contreras. In his opinion, it is also relevant to increase parasite controls before crossing the mother and to strengthen the frequency of the usual deworming treatment.
Step one: visiting the vet
If you suspect that your puppy may have internal parasites in his intestine, the first thing to do is go to the vet soon. He will recommend the appropriate treatment.
The first dose to eliminate the harmful worms from inside the body of the young dog is often administered when the puppy is around two weeks of age. However, often this first take is not enough to kill the infection, as the larvae of the parasites can be very resistant to the drugs.
This explains that, although the adult worms have been eliminated, it is usual for the deposited eggs to hatch quickly and the parasites manage to colonize the puppy’s body again, and the taking has to be repeated. “Internal deworming against nematodes (roundworms) and cestodes (tapeworms or flatworms) are generally carried out every three months,” they explain from the Madrid Association of Companion Animal Veterinarians.
Hygiene: an essential tool to fight puppy worms
Monitoring the puppy’s faeces is essential to carry out the necessary control over this deworming process of the dog’s offspring.
The best option is to prevent intestinal worms in the offspring, but it does not always come in time.
Remember that maggot larvae can be very resistant: they are prepared to withstand really very adverse situations.
The larvae hide in the puppy’s faeces. This explains why one of the essential measures with respect to excrement, which must be observed in search of worm remains, is to remove it immediately after depositing the puppy in the room where it sleeps.
Tips
- Roundworms and tapeworms are two types of intestinal parasites common in dogs, which also affect puppies.
- It is not uncommon for the female dog to transmit these harmful parasites to her puppies during pregnancy or subsequent lactation if she is infected.
- The best option is to prevent intestinal worms, although it does not always come in time.
- The first dose to eliminate harmful worms from inside the baby’s body is usually given when the puppy is two weeks old.
- Internal deworming against nematodes (roundworms) and cestodes (tapeworms or flatworms) are generally performed every three months.
- If you suspect that your puppy may harbour internal parasites in his gut, you should see your vet soon. He will recommend the appropriate treatment for the puppy.
- Monitoring the puppy’s faeces is essential to carry out the necessary control over the deworming process of the dog’s offspring. Remember that maggot larvae can be very resistant: they are prepared to withstand very adverse situations.
How often do you have to deworm a dog?
One of the routines that we must fix ourselves as dog sitters are deworming. This can be internal or external, depending on whether the parasites are located outside or inside the dog’s body.
Also, deworming must begin after fifteen days of age and will be repeated throughout the dog’s life. Let’s see when a dog should be dewormed and how often we should repeat it.
Internal deworming
Internally, dogs can be infected with different parasites. The most common are those that occupy the digestive system. But some parasites will lodge in the lungs or the heart.
We must use antiparasitic products against these worms. In the first place, because some are capable of causing severe and even fatal diseases. An example is heartworm that causes filariasis.
But, we must also protect our dog because several of these parasites can be transmitted to humans. Children are especially susceptible because they can ingest soil where worm eggs are found or eat with unwashed hands.
External deworming
There are several parasites that we can find on the body of our dog. Fleas and ticks are by far the most common. Depending on the area in which we live and the dog’s predisposition, we will find fleas, ticks or both in more significant numbers.
External parasites are not just a cosmetic nuisance. Ticks, by sucking blood to feed, are capable of transmitting serious diseases such as babesia or Ehrlich. On the other hand, fleas also cause hemobartonellosis or transmit intestinal parasites such as tapeworms.
As both are blood-sucking parasites, severe infestations can also cause anaemia. Additionally, fleas bite other animals and humans. They are difficult to remove from the environment.
How often to deworm a puppy?
Puppies can acquire parasites from their mother or the environment from the moment they are born. Taking into account the characteristics and development of the intestinal worms that can affect them, the date of the first internal deworming has been marked as fifteen days of life.
But a single deworming is not going to be enough to eliminate all the worms to which you will be exposed. That is why another internal deworming is fixed after fifteen days, and this is repeated every 2-4 weeks. It is tried to coincide a few days before each vaccine, since, for its administration to be effective, the dog must be well dewormed.
Once the vaccination schedule has been met, at the earliest at 12 weeks, the internal deworming regimen will follow the recommendations for adult dogs. As for external deworming, it is convenient to start it even if the puppy has not yet gone outside. It will be our veterinarian who should recommend the product suitable for puppies.
How often to deworm an adult dog?
Dogs can contract parasites both internally and externally from the environment or contact with dogs or animals. It is easy for intestinal parasites to go unnoticed because in a healthy dog they do not usually give symptoms. But they will be able to transmit them even to humans. The same happens with the external ones. Also, fleas infest the environment.
Its larval forms grow in it. If we do not prevent the dog from contracting fleas, we can find the house infested, its eradication being complex. The internal and external deworming of adult dogs is adapted to their living conditions. As a general rule, external deworming is monthly and internal is every 3-4 months.
But it will depend a lot on the selected product since some maintain the preventive effect for more than four weeks. On the other hand, in cases such as the time of the strong presence of fleas, it may be necessary to deworm before four weeks. That is why it is essential to establish, together with the veterinarian, the most appropriate deworming calendar.
What are the products to deworm?
In the case of puppies, the most used for internal deworming is syrup, which we can easily administer with a syringe. When they grow up, and in adult dogs, pills are often used. There are them with pleasant flavours for the dog, which encourages him to eat them alone, as a treat.
As for external deworming, pipettes and collars are widely used. In smaller dogs both in age and size, spray can be used. Periodically we come across advances in the world of deworming.
Thus, products are launched that are increasingly active against more parasites and their different growth phases or that, with a pipette or tablet, eliminate both internal and external parasites. Depending on the area in which we live, these products must act against the mosquitoes that transmit heartworms or leishmania.
My dog has parasites even though I deworm him.
No deworming product is going to be 100% effective. Also, although we have talked about a monthly or quarterly frequency for deworming, there will be circumstances in which it is necessary to deworm more frequently.
On the other hand, some parasites may not be included in the product we have chosen. An example is giardia, which is not usually eliminated with regular use dewormers.
Therefore, if our dog has diarrhoea, we must go to the vet. They can be parasites even if we have dewormed it. The vet will have to give us a specific treatment.
Bibliography
Carlson and Giffin. 2002. Practical manual of canine veterinary medicine. Madrid. Editorial el Drac.