As pet parents, the top priority is preventing your furry pals from getting exposed or bringing home parasites such as worms. Animals will always make use of their set of senses to check their surroundings.
With that said, your pets could eat, sniff, dig and explore anything they find in their paths, such as trash, dirt, soil, waste, and a lot more. It’s also a risk, especially for dogs, as they would always love to sniff around out of curiosity, resulting in them carrying parasites.
Parasites always find their way to get into your puppies and dogs one way or another. It’s a normal sick pet situation and can immediately be solved by taking your pet to the vet. This article includes the top five deworming tips and what you can do to be a good pet parent for your canine friends.
Confirm What Type of Parasite
Different kinds of parasites could invade your puppy’s health. Moreover, the most common type are worms, and they come in different types such as hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and whipworms that turn your pet’s intestine into their new home.
Just like us, your dogs also need regular visits to their doctors. Never skip a chance to have a consultation with your vet about your dogs. Having them take a look at your pals immediately lets you know how you can improve in taking care of them. Additionally, your vets will also ask you certain questions to know more about your dog.
You can aid your veterinarian by scooping up a fresh stool sample from your dog. Seal the stool in a clean zip lock or plastic bag, and bring it during the earliest appointment schedule. Getting a head start on these parasites is a crucial step in your dog’s overall health. If you want to know more about deworming and other important stuff about your dog’s health, Aristopet has you covered.
Deworming By Medicine
As a responsible pet owner, you must learn that there are a lot of safe and easy ways to deworm your puppy. One of them is giving your dog the prescribed medicine from the vet that could help drive away from the parasite out of your pet’s body.
The veterinarian will give your puppy a medicine through its mouth or a shot that could gradually kill the worms and get them back into their healthy shape. Moreover, these medicines are called “broad-spectrum,” which are excellent in treating various parasite situations such as worms and safe to consume for pets.
When it comes to pups, vets recommend deworming when they are around two to three weeks old. Take note, deworming is done twice. The first dose kills mature worms. The second dose, done after 15 days eliminates any hatchlings left behind.
Look Out for Heartworms
Heartworms are another severe case of parasite problem for your dogs, and tests for the procedure can cost pet owners more than $1,000. Your puppy is expected to start on monthly parasite prevention, which includes antibiotics and anti-inflammatory maintenance. After a month, your dog will begin to undergo heartworm treatment.
After the end of the treatment, you’ll need to keep close attention to your pet. When these pests die, they break into tiny pieces. These small pieces can block the blood flow to your dog’s heart and lungs. During this time, extraneous activities such as exercise or playdates are not recommended.
Six months after your dog’s first heartworm treatment, your veterinarian should do another round of tests to check if there are any parasites left. When results say that there aren’t any more left, your dog must continue to take preventive medicine each year. However, when there are still worms left, your puppy is required to take another round of treatment.
Take note, there are some dog breeds that are more susceptible to heartworms. German Shepherds and other larger dogs can easily get bitten by mosquitoes who carry these parasitic pests. Always take your dogs to your vet if you suspect them having heartworms. Remember, the earlier you detect it, the higher chances of your dog making a full recovery.
Prevention is the Best Form of Medication
One of the best ways to protect your puppies from pests and parasites such as fleas, worms, and mosquitoes is always to clean your yard and house. Moreover, other types of parasites can be passed on to humans, so think of it as doing yourself a favor.
Below are some simple steps that could help ward off parasites at home and to provide a cleaner environment for you and the family pet:
1. Pet Maintenance by Visiting the Vet
Your pets need to make sure that they get the maintenance they could get, and the best advice is always to visit the veterinarian at least once a year. For puppies, it’s recommended that they see the vet two to four times each year.
2. Take Attentive Prescription To Prevent Parasite
Once you can get the vet’s prescription, especially for dogs with a case for heartworms, you should never skip a dose. Always keep strict attention on the maintenance of your canine friends; you can also ask about the next round of shots which usually your dog takes every six months.
3. The Four Ps
Every responsible pet owner should know a thing or two about the four Ps of pet care: Pick Up, Pet, and Poop Promptly. Clean your yard weekly and scoop up your puppy’s stool every time you go out for a walk. In some places, you can get in trouble if you leave behind your dog’s poop. For that reason, you should always bring a pooper scooper or even a plastic bag to clean up after your pooch.
4. Takeaway
Dogs are man’s best friend. With that said, we should always take care of our canine friends by keeping them strong, active, and healthy. However, no matter how much we take care of them, it’s perfectly normal for our pets to have parasites. Handle the matter with ease by taking them to the vet or simply applying our simple deworming tips for your puppies and dogs.
