A Question For The Breeders About Roundworm

[Fevah]

I was just wondering if the breeders out there could answer a few questions for me:

a) When do you start treating your pups for worms?

b) Which treatment do you use?

c) What would you do if you sold a 3-10 month old dog and then the owner got back to you saying the pup had worms?

Thank you and regards

[Kirty]

What does 3-10 month old dog mean? How old was the dog when sold, how old when the owner said it had worms?

[becks]

a) When do you start treating your pups for worms?

from 2 weeks old

b) Which treatment do you use?

panacur

c) What would you do if you sold a 3-10 month old dog and then the owner got back to you saying the pup had worms?

Tell the owner to follow the recommended worming schedule as supplied in their puppy pack!

[Fevah]

The pup in question is 5 months old.

I found out he had roundworm by finding one in his stool.

I have another dog but he is wormed with Advocate monthly. I've never had any problems with any sort of worms regarding my old dog (now deceased) and my newer dog (which I've already had a little over a year).

He is only 1.9kgs and the worms are horrendous (2 inches +).

I took him to the vet as soon as I found one in his stool, he received a worming tablet (Interceptor Spectrum) and I have a follow up tablet to give him in 2 weeks time.

However, if as some say, puppies are wormed from 2 weeks of age then I think this is an example of irresponsible breeding. Unless he picked them up in transit (another lady brought him down here via a roadtrip with 3 poodles).

I'm really upset about it.

[alanglen]

When did you get the pup?

[PandaGirl]

Someone told me that pups are born with worms, so maybe its always had them?

[Fevah]

I got the pup a few days ago.

If he did get them as a puppy, then that only means he hasn't been effectively wormed for 5 months!

[ellz]

Not necessarily. Roundworm can be picked up from eating the faeces of an infected dog or from the soil and can live in the dog for quite some time. Worming a dog with most commercial wormers will only kill worms in the intestinal tract, it won't kill larvae which can be present in the liver and or lungs. What you might be seeing are worms from second or third stage larvae so it is important to keep on with a good quality all wormer and have faecal testing done if you're concerned that they don't seem to be disappearing.

[Fevah]

I'm probably overreacting but its never happened to me before and its a shock seeing these disgusting, long things coming out of this tiny pup. I'm just worried about him. First the shock of moving to a new house and state and now this

[ellz]

Just keep on with a good quality all wormer and practice impeccable personal hygiene yourself and you'll be just fine. The worms you are seeing are the ones that have been anaesthetised by whatever allwormer the breeder was using. You just need to keep dosing regularly (and disposing of droppings meticulously too) and provided there is no further infection from an outside source, there should be no future issues with them.

[Fevah]

Thanks for your advice ellz.

Now I just have to deal with his sensitive skin issues (Not to worry, I have Aloveen conditioner somewhere)

[Jed]

I worm the bitch the day after birth, as roundworms are transferred through the milk to the pups - and probably because they are in close proximity to the bitch while nursing.

The pups are wormed every 2 weeks with Drontal puppy syrup. At 8 - 10 weeks, depending on their size, and the liklihood of them choking, they are wormed with Drontal tablets.

When they are sold, I tell the buyers to worm them every 2 weeks till 12 weeks,

every 4 weeks until 6 months,

and then every 3 months for life.

Although pups are wormed regularly it is very likely that some worms or eggs will remain, so the worming needs to be continuous. How many worms are killed with each treatment depends on the cycle of the worm in the pup, and no one has any way of knowing that.

Sometimes I worm them at 2 weeks - no worms. I do them at 4 weeks - worms. Sometimes the times when they have worms are reversed, worms at 2 weeks, none at 4 weeks. I have a float test done by the vet when they are vaccinated. Some pups will be clear, some will have a couple of eggs. The worms life cycle is continuous, so the worming needs to be continuous as well.

Pups/dogs also pick up worm eggs from the environment - unless they are continuallyrun on concrete which is disenfected for worms and eggs daily.

So, no matter how rigourous the breeder was, or how careful you are, there is every possiblity the pup will have worms. Otherwise, we wouldn't need to worm them regularly.

[Fevah]

Thanks Jed.

I've read up a lot on roundworm since I first posted. Tricky little buggers aren't they? Went to the vet to get him vaccinated against kennel cough today and she said he was a good weight and seems quite healthy so I'm glad the worms haven't affected him too much. He just seems to have a dull coat but I'm hoping that was affected by his old environment and once he settles in here, get used to the food, gets bathed (waiting until its warmer) etc. it will shine up.

Mind you, any help on how to get a shiny coat would be appreciated. Maybe there is something in grooming, I'll have to go have a look.

My goodness, the more I learn, the more I realise I have more to learn!

[pepperhayden]

OOh worms ! What a nuisance. My dogs are wormed regulary. But out of know where they got tapeworm. Could see the segments in their poo. Wormed them , then to find out not all wormers do tapeworm. So wormed again with Drontal.

What causes tapeworms? I was told offal, in raw meats and fleas.

[charli73]

When we got our girl at 7wks she was riddled with roundworm and vomiting and quite ill.. we weren't too happy about it either.. we never told the breeder as we figured they wouldn't care..

[ellz]

When we got our girl at 7wks she was riddled with roundworm and vomiting and quite ill.. we weren't too happy about it either.. we never told the breeder as we figured they wouldn't care..

You're probably not far off the mark there considering they let a puppy leave the nest at 7 weeks in the first place.

[louloud]

Tapeworms are transmitted through fleas. Advantage multi as it's known in NZ or advocate covers fleas, ear mites and most worms except tapeworm as it goes with the theory if the animal doesn't have fleas it shouldn't have tapeworm. So even if you use advocate on a puppy I would still probably worm the dog using drontal or endoguard etc. every 2 weeks till 12 weeks then every month till 6 months etc

[pepperhayden]

Tapeworms are transmitted through fleas. Advantage multi as it's known in NZ or advocate covers fleas, ear mites and most worms except tapeworm as it goes with the theory if the animal doesn't have fleas it shouldn't have tapeworm. So even if you use advocate on a puppy I would still probably worm the dog using drontal or endoguard etc. every 2 weeks till 12 weeks then every month till 6 months etc

Thanks, They are all now on advocate, does heartworm too, bonus!

[Fevah]

Oh by the way, I had been in regular email contact with the breeder. Ever since I told them about the roundworm and what I was using to treat it they haven't replied

[ellz]

I've typed and deleted and typed and deleted so I'll just come out and say what I'm thinking and hope you take it the right way.

It's all in the approach. If you emailed the breeder in the same manner as your original post, then they are probably taking it as an accusation and are perhaps a bit reluctant to resume correspondence with you.

I don't mean this in a nasty way, but quite often people attack without meaning to, or in this case, without being aware of the facts (ie that roundworm is not an unusual thing) and it can be taken in a myriad of ways.

I can't speak for the breeder because obviously, I'm not in their head and I have no idea what you said to them in your emails, but I speak as A breeder when I reply. The old saying "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" rings true and there are definitely ways to approach such a subject which would usually get more results.