I dewormed my puppy using some over the counter dog wormer, how can I tell if its working?

Question

Also, if the worms were roundworms (which is what my husband seen in the stool), can my 4 year old some how catch them from playing with the puppy?

Answer 1

There are just entirely too many WRONG answers here!!!!!! (Even the semi-correct ones are inaccurate.) :-(
>:-[
(except for tlctreeca..., and b.w.......yours are the only ones that do not contain at least one error.) :-)

1. OTC dewormers generally work only against one species of worm that pups only rarely get. Wormers containing piperazine (the most common OTC) DO make many puppies quite ill, which is why veterinarians quit using it over 30 years ago....and it went to OTC availability (because that's just what happens with many poor-quality medications.)

2. Worms do NOT generally cause a puppy to scoot its butt.

3. RINGworm is the skin fungus....not roundworm. (Ringworm is zoonotic also, however.)

4. All worms do not 'come from fleas.' Tapeworms do, but not roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, etc.

5. Yes, your child can pick up both roundworms and hookworms from contact with infected stool, but it's not extremely common. If he's not very sanitary about washing his hands before putting them in his mouth, or if he plays in a muddy area where the pup has defecated at some point is the only way it could happen.

6. If you wait until your pup starts vaccines (at 6-7 weeks) before checking for/treating intestinal parasites, many pups will be dead by then. Routine fecal tests and prophylactic dewormings should be started at 2 weeks of age, and repeated every 2 weeks until 8 weeks of age. (The CDC in Atlanta recommends prophylactic deworming for roundworms that way, whether they are seen in the fecal test or not. That's because of the risk of infection to young children.)

How do you know it was roundworms and not tapeworms your husband saw? (Both are visible to the naked eye and sometimes pass.) Hookworms, whipworms, and other common intestinal parasites such as coccidia and giardia can NOT be seen by you, and are way more dangerous.

It takes 2-3 treatments, spaced 2-3 weeks apart to kill off the entire lifecycle of most 'worms.' (Whipworms require an additional treatment 3 months later.)

Take a fecal sample from your pup to your veterinarian, and they can check microscopically to see what your pup does or does not have. It is an inexpensive test, especially considering the information it gives you. There is NO single medication that takes care of ALL intestinal parasites at the same time, although Drontal does the most.

We see pups come in near death from worms all the time, despite having been 'treated' with OTC dewormer.

Ask about starting monthly heartworm prevention ASAP after 4-6 weeks of age. There are different brands, and some also prevent reinfection with some of the parasites I've listed above. Your DVM will advise you which one you need, based on your particular situation.

Lastly.....almost every single post above contains WRONG information. That's what happens when you ask medical questions on the Internet. People who THINK they know the answer will answer, whether they REALLY know it or not. In these cases, I think Yahoo should penalize the poster, as some of this information is so blatantly wrong. Even my newer teenage kennel assistants in the clinic know more than that!!!! (And they certainly know to NOT answer questions that they are not qualified to answer.)

In the future, please call your DVM with such questions. They'll put a technician on the phone with you who can answer. That's what we're THERE for. :-) Plus, it is very important for you to establish a relationship between your pup and his doctor (and you) as early in his life as possible....just like you did with your son and his pediatrician. The puppy/kitten owners who stay in the closest contact with us about routine health care have fewer problems and spend less money on medical bills than those who wait until they actually have a problem. Trust me...we want to help you get your pet from puppyhood to adulthood and into his senior years with as few medical issues as possible!!!!

Answer 2

Yes your child can catch worms from playing with your puppy. Also there is always a chance that if a worm from the dog gets into your childs bloodstream it can make him go blind.
You are best going to the vets to get wormers as the ones you get from the supermarket may be cheaper but they are not so effective.
Also if your dog has worms it will DEFINITELY have fleas too as the two go together. So again the most effective treatment is purchased from your vets and remember for every flea you find on your dog, there are 200 eggs in your house, on the furniture, in the carpets etc. So you will need to get more flea spray for the house.

Answer 3

The best thing to do is to take a fresh stool sample to your Vet so you can get the correct wormer for the worms that are present. Most of the OTC stuff is junk, anyway, and you can't treat the dog if you're not sure of ALL the types of worms it may have. Not only that, the stool should be checked for Coccidia, which is not actually a worm, but is treated with Albon.

Answer 4

No the puppy's worms are not infectious to your son. The only way you can tell is look at a stool under a microscope. Hook worm larvae can invade the skin of children, but this happens in the poor areas where the dogs are not wormed and the children are barefooted.

Answer 5

If the round worms were visible to you, then the puppy really had a high worm count. Those worms also laid eggs in the pup. The wormers will not kill the eggs. You will need to retreat to get them all.
We just had a litter in rescue that was treated several times to get all the worms.

As for your son, have him wash his hands everytime he plays with the puppy. This will keep him safe.

Answer 6

All puppies aare born with round worms. It may look real nasty when they come out. When you take your pup for his shots ask the vet to deworm him again using strongid or nemex.

In order for your child to get worms or parasites from the puppy your four year old would have to ingest the stool. Clean up all accidents thoroughly to prevent this.

Answer 7

otc wormers do not work and can harm the pup. Yes your son can catch worms from the pup.You need to take the pup to a vet with a fresh stool sample and have the vet treat the pup.

Answer 8

To reduce rick of hook worm in kids you should clean up their dodos every 2nd day in the yard round worm in humans is not a worm it is a fungal infection look it up on goggle for more info it is quit fascinating
Kind Regards Tess

Answer 9

I prefer to use Drontal from the vet, as you know that it works! Its one tablet for every ten kilos, but vet will advise you on a puppy. Its only about 3 pounds per tablet, and you wont need many. You do it every three months and i think it works out more cost effective.

Answer 10

you have to watch your dog and if it drags its butt on the floor it didn't work. if the worms are round and r on the skin then it is a ringworm and ur kid can get it by playing w/ the puppy