What are worms? Worms are intestinal parasites that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Many puppies that have intestinal parasites have few or no symptoms. Problems usually do not occur until the puppy is highly infected. A veterinarian can tell you if your puppy is infected with intestinal parasites by performing a microscopic examination on your puppies stool.
Most puppies start their lives with roundworms and hookworms. These are the most common parasites that are found in the intestines. The larval usually lies dormant in adult dogs. When the female becomes pregnant the larvae become more active and then they migrate to the placenta. Therefore infecting the puppy prior to or right after birth. Another way puppies become infected is by eating the roundworm or hookworm eggs in the environment they are in. Hookworms can also penetrate the skin in order to penetrate the skin to infect the puppy. The difference between hookworms and roundworms is hookworms mature in the digestive tracts and roundworms mature throughout the entire body. Roundworms do not always have major noticeable symptoms. Although some puppies do develop abdominal distension, diarrhea, dull coat, and their growth becomes stunted. If the parasites have infested the puppy bad they may develop pneumonia. This can cause intestinal blockage. Hookworms on the other hand feed on the puppy’s blood. Therefore causing anemia, weakness, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss.
Now that you know about worms, how do you get rid of them? To successfully get rid of the infectious parasite you need medication from your local veterinarian. You will need medications like fenbendazole and pyrantel. These medications both work against roundworms and hookworms. Some but not all medicine are safe for puppies as young as two weeks. It may take more than one treatment to get rid of parasites. One way to prevent parasites is good sanitation. If your puppy uses the restroom in his box clean and disinfect it right away. Keeping your puppy’s area clean will prevent your puppy from infection.