Worms are an unavoidable part of a dog’s life. Hence, just like flea and tick treatments, deworming should be an important part of your puppy’s life. Being a responsible pet parent, you should be aware of how to detect, handle and prevent these worms.
Most Common Types Of Worms In Puppies:
Worms are parasites that mostly live in the intestinal tract of your pets. There are many different types of worms that infect pets. But some of them which are found quite commonly in puppies include:
Tapeworms:
Tapeworms are intestinal worms that require an intermediate host to complete their lifecycle. Generally, fleas are these hosts. Puppies get infected when they ingest a flea infected with tapeworm. If your pup is infected with tapeworms, you will spot segments of tapeworms in his feces or around his bottom.
Hookworms:
Hookworms are also intestinal worms with a hook-like mouthpart that they use to adhere themselves to the lining of the intestinal wall. Puppies may get infected with hookworms in a number of ways, including orally, through the skin, or through the mother’s placenta or milk.
Roundworms:
Puppies can get infected with roundworms by ingesting infected feces. Sometimes, roundworms may also be present in puppies at birth as they can be transmitted through the placenta of an infected mother as well.
Heartworms:
Heartworms are the most dangerous kind of worms in pets. However, they are not intestinal worms. Heartworms cause infections in the hearts of dogs. They are transmitted through flea bites and are fatal as they damage the heart and lungs. Heartworms can be diagnosed through blood tests.
Symptoms of worms in puppies:
It might be difficult for you to spot worms in your puppies owing to their small size. However, some worms can be easily detected in the feces. They may also show some specific symptoms like:
- Scooting
- Swollen belly
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Changes in appetite
- Dull and rough fur
- Weight loss
If you detect any of the above symptoms in your puppies, consult a veterinarian immediately. Mostly, worms can be cured with proper treatment, but in some cases, if left untreated it may lead to death.
Worming Treatments for puppies:
Your pets can easily get infected with worms. But fortunately, it is very easy to prevent them with the top-class deworming treatments available in the market these days. Moreover, most of them are broad-spectrum treatments so they can prevent multiple worms. Here are four best deworming treatments for puppies that you should definitely incorporate into their regimen to save them from the nuisance of worms:
- Milbemax All Wormer Tablets
Milbemax is a powerful monthly anthelmintic treatment for heartworms and intestinal worms like hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Its key ingredients are Milbemycin oxime and Praziquantel. Milbemycin oxime kills worms by disrupting their nerve transmission, whereas praziquantel causes muscle spasms in tapeworms. Later, these worms are eliminated with excretion.
Key Benefits:
- Broad-spectrum treatment
- Treats and prevents intestinal worms
- Prevents Heartworms
- Easy to administer as it comes in tablet form
- Also treats mixed infections caused due to adult worms
2. Aristopet All Wormer Tablets
Aristopet is another best broad-spectrum anthelmintic treatment that treats and controls 11 kinds of intestinal worms in dogs. It can protect against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and all types of tapeworms. Its key ingredients are praziquantel, Oxantel Embonate, and Pyrantel Embonate, whose combined effect destroys all these worms.
Key Benefits:
- Broad-spectrum treatment
- Protects against 11 kinds of intestinal worms
- Easy to administer oral treatment
- Suitable to use for all dog breeds
3. Drontal Puppy Worming Suspension
Drontal is the ultimate product to protect your puppies from all kinds of worms. It is highly efficient against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Drontal is very gentle yet effective and simple to dose. It has three key ingredients- Praziquantel, Pyrantel Embonate, and Febantel that actively eliminates all the major intestinal worms.
Key Benefits:
- Treats multiple gastrointestinal worms
- Controls roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms
- Easy to dose using the enclosed dosing syringe
- Highly palatable
- Can be combined with other treatments like flea, tick, or heartworm prevention
4. Fido’s All Wormer Tablets
Fido’s All wormer is an excellent wormer to protect your puppies from gastrointestinal worms including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. The active ingredients- Praziquantel and Fenbendazole are highly efficient in combating worms and keeping your puppies safe.
Key Benefits:
- Broad-spectrum treatment
- Easy to dose palatable treatment
- Treats roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms
- Suitable to use for all dog breeds
Finding the best all wormer treatment for your dog isn’t easy because there are so many options on the market these days, but we hope that our list of the top four products helps you narrow down your choices. Nevertheless, consult your vet to pick the perfect one from the above-mentioned treatments for your beloved pup. Most of these products, however, do not prevent heartworms, so you will need to use a separate treatment for that.
Preventing Re-infestations: Most dog parents know the importance of deworming, but that’s not all. These pesky parasites are bound to come back even after treatment. Therefore, apart from including deworming in their schedule, it is essential to save them from reinfections. You can prevent reinfections by promptly picking up their poop and washing your hands thoroughly after handling them. Keeping fleas away from them can also help prevent worms like tapeworms as fleas are the carriers of the same.
