Puppy De-wormer and heart de-wormer used at the same time?

Question

Okay so heres the deal. I have an 8 week old great dane puppy. He's been on heart worm medicine since he was born because the mother tested postitive for heart worms.

earlier today i noticed there was a small white worm in his poop. he doesn't have worms hanging out of his butt and the worm was not alive. i'm told this is NOT the heart worms coming out. this is an intestinal worm. My vet is not open on weekends.

so my question is this. they have OTC de-wormer for puppies. as long as the pup is over 6 weeks it can be used. but is it safe to be giving my puppy both heart dewormer and regular dewormer at the same time?

i need to correct myself. he is on heartworm preventative medication. to be on the safe side that the heart worms weren't passed to him. the vet has the entire litter on heartworm preventative. the mother was positive for heartworms during her pregnancy.

i need to correct myself...my pup is on heart worm preventitive meds because his mother had them during the pregnancy.

also...my pup has pooped a couple times after the time i saw the little white worm like thing. i inspected the poop since then and i ahven't found anymore!

Answer 1

What brand of heartworm preventative is he on? A lot of them also control roundworms and other parasites...even tapeworms - depending on the active ingredients. Read the label for information.

It is important to know what kind of worm you need to treat for, so if possible take the worm you found along with a stool sample to the vet for identification and proper treatment. I wouldn't panic...it can wait until monday.

Answer 2

Do NOT use any OTC dewormers!! They are not effective and they are NOT safe especially for puppies.

The worm you saw is NOT a heartworm..you do not see heartworms...if your puppy is on a heartwom med then there is already dewormer in it so you do NOT need to use any other dewormer other then possibly a tapeworm med if the pup happens ot have tapeworms. Also if the worm was not alive then the dewormer is working.

I am concerned though that a puppy especially a Dane puppy is on a heartwom med already and has been for so long.. to the best of my knowledge and all I've studied including the recent refresher course I took on heartworms ...heartworms do NOT pass from mom to puppy... I think I would be seeking a second opinion very quickly before something happens to this puppy because of over medication.

I've done some more research even more indepth into heartworms, (even though I just finished an indepth course on them I wanted to make 100% sure of my facts)..heartworms are NOT passed from mom to pups!!! Roundworms can be and often are but heartworms are NOT!!! You need to be seeking another vet.. I hope that there will be no long term effects from medications given to a Dane pup from birth to present for heartworm. Heartworms don't affect puppies under the age of 7-9 months of age.Also heartworms are spread by mosquitoes NOT in utero!!

Answer 3

Yes, it's okay to provide heartworm preventative and dewormer at the same time.
Is the worm you're seeing a long, white/off white-colored worm? If so, this could be roundworms.
It's a very common parasite in puppies and is easily treated by your veterinarian.
If the worm you're seeing is a small white worm - about the size of a rice grain - that's most likely a tapeworm that's transmitted through ingesting fleas. Also easily treatable by the vet.

Take a stool sample to your vet and have them test it for parasites and provide the pup with the proper treatment.

Answer 4

Well, I've never heard of a pup being treated for heartworm that young, but if that's what was done, it must be ok.

The white worm is NOT a heartworm. You won't see the heartworms in the dog's poop. You need to look at the worm, because the treatment is different for round worms and hookworms than it is for tape worms.

Tapeworms are white and flat, and usually I find pieces on the dog's butt, but I suppose you could find it in the stool. You can get a bottle of tapeworm tablets. They taste horrible, so it's a bit of a job to feed them to the dog.

Roundworms and hookworms are treated using D-Worm chewables (good tasting) or Nemex 2.

You can get any of these over the counter. If you're unsure... treat for both and try to save a worm in water in a jar)for your vet to identify on your next visit.

While the others who responded to you apparently have not had good luck with worming medicines, I've had excellent with tapeworm tablets and found the cheapest brand at Tractor Supply Co. worked just fine, and D-Worm and Nemex 2 have kept my dogs free of the other worms.

Heartworms are worms, but as was said above, they're reabsorbed by the body and you never see them when the dog is cleared of them.

Answer 5

he is on heartworm prevention, not dewormer. I know its a little confusing. Heartworms will not come out because they are in the bloodstream, they will be reabsorbed by the body and discarded that way so they will never be seen by you. The OTC dewormer is not that great and doesn't cover all types of worms so you should stick with taking him to the vet to be seen.

Answer 6

Yes you can but I would make an appt. asap for the vet.

My havanese puppy had worms when she was 5 months old and she was on heartworm and dewormer and she was fine. But I'd take him to the vets on Monday or even call an emergency vet today.

I should state that my dog was on dewormer from the vet not over the counter.

It's best to leave the diagnosing and the prescribing to the vets.

Answer 7

it is ok to give regular dewormer along with heartworm meds, but most OTC dewormers only get some types of worms, are not effective or can make your puppy sick.. your puppy should at least reviece one worming for intestinal parasites along with a stool sample at the vet.. reguardless if he is on heartworm medicine..
It is ok to wait till monday on this one,, better off you get the right wormer that will work Most OTC wormers are crap, and do not work, and you need to diagnosis what type of wormer you need, not all wormers get all types of worms..
chances are if the worm looked like a grain of rice, it was tape worms, and you will need a specific wormer (Praziquantel ) for them along with treating your dog for fleas (how they get them) if the worm looked like thin strings chances are it was rounds, hooks or whips and depending on what one you would need a wormer spicfically labled for treating them.. fenbendazole, or strongid
Most OTC medicines only treat roundworms, and are not all that effective,, also older style medicines that are not in use by most vets (piperzine) so best to wait and get the right wormer vs giving something that may not work or be effective..
Amanda

Answer 8

OTC dewormer usually isn't very effective, plus, it's often only for one type of intestinal parasite, and usually not the one your puppy has.
Unless you know exactly what type of dewormer you are looking for, then wait until Monday, and have the vet give you proper type (it won't hurt to wait until Monday, anyways. As long as it's treated soon).