Worms

[pittsburghkid]

My 4 month old pup has worms in his stool? Is this something I can treat myself? Should I be concerned about my 3 year old daughter playing w/him?

 

[Dagna]

First, don't be concerned about your daughter playing with him. Unless she's eating his feces, she will most likely not get anything. If in doubt, take her to your Dr.

On your dog, please don't try to treat it by yourself. There are "dewormers" in petstores, but, if you're lucky, they won't do anything at all, and if you aren't lucky, it could either kill your dog or cause it to become seriously ill, especially a 4 month old puppy. Worms are not uncommon for a 4 month old puppy, most will have them. You can get some dewormer from your vet. Depending on the type of worm the pill could cost $4-$20. You'll need two pills. Your vet may want to do a stool sample, but if you know what kind of worms, it won't really be necessary. You can always call your vet and see if you even need to bring your pup in to get it.

 

[shezshy]

i agree with dagna and we've never wormed our dogs or cats ourselves.especially a puppy.it only takes a minute to have the vet worm,not expensive but if they contract heart worms..you're looking at high bills,maybe loss of life for your dog.i hope you dont ignore it

 

[pittsburghkid]

I bought the pills from a local pet supply store. He said they are the same ones my vet would have given. I will take a stool sample to the vet after treatment. My main concern is my daughter contracting something, if that were to happen I would have to take the dog out back!

 

[Blank123]

I believe it is supposed to be hard to catch worms from playing with the puppy, but just make sure she washes her hands well after playing wtih him, and she should be fine

 

[jess anderson]

I agree, washing hands is a perfectly effective method of prevention, as long as your daughter doesn't put her fingers in her mouth before they have been washed. It is very unlikely that you or your daughter will be affected. Your dog sounds old enough to be wormed, but I would check with your vet before you give any tablets, because some worming tablets are unsuitable for puppies because their digestive systems are very delicate.

 

[Dagna]

What brand are those pills and what exactly are they? Most pet stores don't carry the same ones that you'll get at your vet. Please don't use them until you call your vet to check with them. I would hate for something to happen to your dog because someone told you incorrect information.

 

[awashinlove]

Four month old pups have not yet built up their immune systems, hence why puppies rarely get through their first year without a case of worms. This is also the reason why you should not use an over the counter drug when it comes to removing an animal (the worms) from an animal (your dog). While the pet store fellow may have been somewhat correct in noting that his drug is identical to what your vet would offer, he probably forgot to include that the meds that come from your vet have various ingredients to minimize the side effects of the poison that kills the worms. Over the counter drugs are cheap because they do not include these dampeners. Your vet knows your dog and there are many variables that must be taken into consideration when putting an animal poisoning into your pet. Pet stores are not ABLE to get the exact same medication your vet can prescribe.

Quick note: Do not EVER trust a pet store. Ever. These folks know squat and tell fatal lies just for a sale. Places like PetCo even have the nerve to pretend they care about shelter animals, when they really only use shelter pet days to multiply their sales eight times over. (They originally forbade requests from shelters until they realized that feigned concern would cause such a dramatic increase in profits.)

Just keep your daughter out of your yard and don't allow the footwear near her that anyone has used where your dog defecates and all should be fine.

Blessings,
awashinlove