worming

Why should I worm my dog?
Puppy worms are parasites that can live in a dog's intestines. They can make both dogs and puppies ill - even to the point of death.

The worms puppies can get infected by are not the same as the garden worms you find in the soil! Dog and puppy worms are parasites and are often so tiny they can't be easily seen.

Worms can cause anaemia, diarrhoea, vomiting, growth disorders, exhaustion and heart failure.

Worming is an important part of dog health - and of human health too.

Did you know that humans can get infected by dog worms?

Most people don't know that children and adults can also get infected with dog worms and can become very ill.

People can become infected by lying on contaminated grass or from soil that has been contaminated by dog excrement.

People can also be infected by a worm (the hydatid tapeworm) that causes cysts to form in the internal organs.

It's very easy for puppies to pick up worms.

Puppies can get worms from their mothers before birth or while suckling milk. Dogs and puppies can pick up a worm infection from their environment too, such as from the excrement of other dogs and from grass or dirt where worm parasites are living.

So it's very important to keep your puppy free of puppy worms throughout its life - not only for its good health but for the health of you and your family.

What are puppy worms?
There are four main types of dog worms:

•hookworms

•roundworms

•whipworms

•tape worms

A type of tapeworm, common in rural areas in many parts of the world, is the hydatid tapeworm.

A fifth type of worm, heartworm, is less common but possibly more lethal than the others and more difficult to treat.

Hookworms
Hookworms feed on the blood that lines a dog's intestines. Hookworms can kill a puppy because a heavy infestation can cause severe anaemia.

Roundworms
Puppies can be born with roundworms if their mother was infected. They can also acquire them soon after birth. Roundworms can give puppies a pot belly, a dry coat, diarrhoea and lung damage. They can also cause death.

Whipworms
Whipworms live in the large bowel and feed on the dog's blood. They can cause anaemia and bloody diarrhoea. They usually occur where several dogs live together and have access to the other dogs' droppings.

Whipworms can live outside a host for many years.

Tapeworms
Tapeworms live in a dog's small intestine. They usually cause few health problems in adult dogs but can slow a puppy's growth, affect the condition of the coat and cause anal irritation.

Hydatid tapeworm
There are several types of hydatid tapeworm. They live mainly in rural areas in many parts of the world such as western America (Arizona, New Mexico and California), Eurasia, China, India, Central and South America, the Middle East and Australia. Hydatid tapeworms used to be common in New Zealand but have nearly been eliminated there by the regular worming of dogs.

In its adult form, the hydatid tapeworm infests a dog's small intestine. However, it spends the earlier part of its lifecycle in other animals such as livestock or wild animals such as moose and kangaroos - as well as humans.

The hydatid tapeworm's eggs move out of the dog's body in its droppings and are passed on when animals or humans accidentally eat something contaminated with dog waste. The eggs then hatch in the new host and cause cysts in the liver, brain, lungs or kidneys ('hydatid disease'). These cysts can be as large as a softball or basketball. The cysts can erode the infected organs and the animal or human can go into shock if the cysts break.

The cysts contain thousands of tapeworm larvae, which are released when the infected animal's organs are eaten by a predator, such as a dog.

Heartworm
Heartworm is found throughout the United States of America (except Alaska) and in the warmer parts of Canada. It is also found in South America, southern Europe, south east Asia, the Middle East, Japan and Australia. Heartworm is one of the hardest puppy worms to treat if a puppy becomes infected.

Heartworm is a type of roundworm that is distributed by mosquitoes. The heartworm is a small, thread-like worm that can infect many animals, including dogs, cats, wolves, foxes and ferrets.

It is called 'heartworm' because it lives in the heart of its host during its adult stage.

Heartworms don't lay eggs but have live young which live in the host's bloodstream, waiting until a mosquito bites the animal. The young then move into the mosquito along with the blood it has sucked and eventually turn into larvae. The mosquito then passes the larvae to another animal when it feeds.

Over time, the heartworm makes its way to the animal's heart, where it breeds, bearing live young that once again move into the bloodstream to start the whole process over again.

Dogs that are only lightly infected with heartworm and lead a fairly inactive life often show no sign of heartworm infection and may not become ill. However, active dogs or those with a heavy infestation suffer exhaustion, severe weight loss, fainting, coughing up blood and heart failure.

Heartworm is one of the most difficult puppy worms to treat so prevention is by far the best course.

How can I tell if my dog has worms?
Unfortunately, you probably won't know your dog has worms until it gets sick. You won't normally be able to see any sign of worms in a puppy's excrement.

Signs of a worm infestation can include bloody diarrhoea, pot bellies, rough coat, poor growth and exhaustion.

Don't wait for signs of illness:
Worm your dog regularly to prevent infestation with puppy worms.

How do I worm my dog?
Fortunately, there is a wide range of products available today that you can use to worm your dog.

First, speak to your vet about which product is best to use. For young puppies, a syrup may be easier to administer. For older dogs, you can use tablets which you either get them to swallow or crumble into their food. There are even worming tablets made as soft, tasty chews which many dogs find acceptable.

Whichever type of product you use, make sure it will treat at least the four major puppy worms (hookworm, roundworm, whipworm and tapeworm), as well as hydatid tapeworm if you have them in your area.

You can buy worming tables in handy packs for small dogs (drontal puppy and drontal plus). This is based on the weight of your dog so you'll need to weigh your dog before purchase.

For heartworm, you can either use a table or an injection. Many people find a yearly injection, given at the same time as the dog's yearly vaccinations (shots), is easier than trying to administer a tablet.

How often?
Puppies under 3 months of age should be wormed every 2 weeks from the age of 2 weeks.

It is very important that breeders worm puppies from the age of 2 weeks.

When you go to buy a puppy, ask your breeder, shelter or rescue organization what the puppy's worming schedule is and when it is next due.

From the age of 3 months, puppies should be wormed every month until they are 6 months old.

From the age of 6 months, dogs should be wormed every 3 months for the rest of their lives. Make sure you always have some worming tablets on hand.

The only exception to the 'every 3 months' rule is heartworm prevention: you can either administer a monthly tablet or ask the vet to give your dog a yearly injection against heartworm. The yearly injection usually works out cheaper and, of course, is easier to remember!

If you fear your puppy actually has worms, speak to your vet or try an all-natural worm treatment like drontal puppy and drontal plus