Facts about deworming puppies and adult dogs


Even though some deworming medications work against more than one type of dog worms, not one medicine is effective against all of them. A particular diagnosis is essential to find the safest and many effective drug. This involves a test of the dog's stool and determining if the parasite is in the egg, larval, or adult stage. It's not better to deworm your dog struggling with an unexplained illness that is assumed to become brought on by "worms."

All anthelmintics (medications that act to expel or destroy parasitic worms) are poisons - designed to poison the worm although not your dog. Dogs debilitated by heartworms or another infestation might be too weak to face up to the toxicity of the dewormer.

Make sure to seek advice from your veterinarian before using any dewormer. It's also vital that you provide the medication just as prescribed.

Deworming puppies

Most young puppies are infested with ascarids. Other worm parasites can also be present, however they are less common. You should have your veterinarian check your puppy's stool before deworming for ascarids, if other worms can be found, a broad-spectrum deworming agent might be recommended.

Puppies should be dewormed at 2 weeks of age (before ascarid eggs are passed in the stool) and again at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Then, it's prudent to place them on the monthly heartworm preventive for a lifetime that also protects your dog against other parsites, or at best continue monthly deworming for 6 months.

This schedule kills all ascarids, whether acquired in utero, through infected mother's milk, or by ingesting the eggs. Pyrantel pamoate (Nemex or Strongid) is a superb option for ascarids and may be safely directed at 2- week-old puppies. It's available like a liquid suspension or tablet.

Worm medications could be unhealthy to puppies that are ill from the respiratory infection, chilled, crowded in unsanitary surroundings or abruptly weaned using their mothers. Stressful conditions like these should be corrected before administering the dewormer. Don't deworm a puppy that has diarrhea unless your veterinarian has determined that the diarrhea is caused by the parasite.

Deworming adult dogs

Most veterinarians recommend that adult dogs be dewormed only if there's specific reason to do this, for example when eggs or parasites are located throughout a fecal examination. Dogs may also be continued a yearlong heartworm preventive that also protects against many of the intestinal parasites. Most dogs must have a fecal examination done a minimum of once annually.

Most dogs carry ascarids as encysted larvae, but intestinal infestation by the adult worm is rare in the healthy dog. Hookworms could be an issue in adults only in times of stress. Only milbemycin (Interceptor) works well against encysted hookworm larvae.

Whipworms really are a frequent reason for acute and chronic diarrhea in adult dogs. They're hard to diagnose on routine fecal examination. Eradication necessitates the utilization of specific agents not popular for other worms. Tapeworms are typical in dogs but, fortunately, cause few symptoms. The worm segments are simple to detect in the stool. Threadworms are often observed. Not many agents work from this parasite.

A brood bitch must have her stool checked before breeding. If parasites are located, she should be dewormed. Deworming while pregnant should be done only as based on your veterinarian. Note that some dewormers are contraindicated while pregnant.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Corey Saunders at 05052011

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