Worms 101

[Diva'sOwner]

So now that I discovered that Haley (10 weeks) has round worms and coccidia, I am wondering how long does it take for the round worms to exit her body. The vet gave just 2.5 pills that I administered yesterday and so far she's only had two little tiny poops (one worm). I know there must be more. How long should I expect to see worm poop?

Another question: Has anyone experience a loss of appetite with either of these types of worms? I've read that it can happen if the coccidia is really bad. It's so sad to see this hungry spunky puppy become a picky eater over night. It's like a hat trick to get her to eat rice, meat, or kibble.

I wish there was something I could do to speed up this process.

[frontierrots]

pups get roundworms from their mom. If at ANY time in her life the mom had roundworms, some of them encyst in her muscle and are released again when she gets pregnant infecting the pups

Pups that test positive for roundworms need to be treated every 2 weeks until they test clear twice

Coccidia is picked up from either contamintated stool or dirt. Coccidia is much more serious than the worms and can kill the pup if not treated. They need to be re checked a couple times to make sure that no occysts are still being shed in the stool

[Diva'sOwner]

My pup also often has the hiccups and I just read that though normal, the hiccups can also indicate the presence of worms. Eeek.

[guberdog]

In both of my rescues, after the visit to my vet and treatment, they passed their worms IN GREAT SUPPLY I MIGHT ADD, with 48 hours. If they don't pass, I would sure call the vet back and ask advice . . .

[targonrotts]

it depends on type of wormer used too.
i usually use panacur for hooks,rounds,whips.
droncit injectable for tapes and albon for coccidia.
panacur works as a single daily dose for 3 consecutive days according to pets weight.
repeat in 2 weeks.
droncit we usually give once and if we see them again, repeat it 2-3 weeks later.
albon i do once a day for about 10 days, then recheck to make sure they are gone.
worms can be very debilitating to puppies, old dogs and sick dogs.
it is reccommended to check for parasites every 6 months, and show or hunting dogs every 4 months or so.
ps...start on heartworm preventatives! we recommend to start at 8 weeks of age.

[targonrotts]

yes, appetite may be low with worm overload, and diarrhea or yellow stool is common with coccidia.
make sure is eating and has plenty to drink.
recheck at end of treatment to make sure its gone.
hiccups are very normal in puppies.
usually disappear by the time they are 4 months.
remember to also clean up any stool puppy passes to prevent contaminating your premises.cleanliness is very important to help break the cycle.

[Diva'sOwner]

Thank you for your responses! She is on Albon for the coccidia (for 10 days) and Drontal Plus for the worms. The Drontal was two pills given one time. It just seems to be taking a while for the round worms to leave. I've only seen one come out so far.

As for sanitation, I have her pooping on newspaper outside (she hates it!) so that I can pick up the stools that contain the coccidia and throw it all out. Better than getting them into the grass and having her re-infect herself. Her poor little system seems so taxed with this worms. I have to do a song and dance to get her to eat.