My new golden retriever pup is 7 weeks, and i am worried that she might have worms. She has minor blood in the poop - and i thought i noticed a worm in a recent stool. Is this something that needs emergency treatment? We haven't taken her to the vet yet, but she went to the vet a week from yesterday for her 6 week checkup.

We plan to take her to the vet this week for her first check up, but I just want to make sure she doesn't need immediate treatment. Other than the stool probs, she is happy and healthy with a good appetite and regular poops.

Thanks.

11/24/2007 10:52:21 PM

have you tried a dog forum or googling? i would resort to both of those first before asking something that could potentially be very serious for anything living - or at least in parallel

11/24/2007 10:53:44 PM

i have indeed googled every resource and have found several conflicting ideas

and no, i wouldn't normally trust tww for perfect advice

but i basically want to make sure that a worm problem (if that's what it is) is something that can be addressed by a vet appt this week or if it needs dog ER.

11/24/2007 11:01:20 PM

you can always call a vet and ask. call an emergency vet---open 24 hours. there is one off glenwood ave. they will give you advice over the phone for free.

11/25/2007 12:58:53 AM

word, i will call them tomorrow

i just don't want to spend unnecessary $ before i have to, the breeder mentioned that some worms were fairly common and a routine vet visit will ID them

the dog was expensive enough (goldens are $texas), so i would like to maximize value on the first vet visit.

awesome pup though

11/25/2007 1:17:27 AM

awwww!! yea worms (usually) aren't that big of a deal....most kittens and puppies have worms and you just have to get the dewormer on their first vet visit. but def call a vet tomorrow and just ask---they might say bring her in but if you tell them your situation they might have some helpful advice. they are usually pretty nice. i have called the emergency vet on glenwood ave before in the middle of the night about a sick pet---they were extremely helpful.

11/25/2007 1:24:22 AM

yeah, we are going to schedule our first vet visit early because of this, but she does not appear to be having any adverse effects due to this.

just a worried rookie puppy owner

11/25/2007 1:44:28 AM

if you call the emergency vet and they tell you come in....don't. they just want money out of you. ...worms are normal for puppies so if you call your regular vet monday they'll probably just have you bring in the stool sample (as long as she's happy and healthy and feeling fine otherwise). If you're seeing the worms, they are probably tape worms (possibly rounds) which are very easily treated with either a pill or a liquid.

11/25/2007 11:46:40 AM

^ ditto. If YOU haven't brought her in for her first puppy visit then I'd make an appt ASAP so you can get a dewormer. Unless she's been in for her first exam, a vet isn't going to give just anyone a dewormer after looking at a stool sample. Fecal floats are always done at the first visit (checking for parasite eggs)
Has she had any of her puppy vaccines? Typically the schedule is a DHLPP vaccine at 8, 12 and 16 weeks. If she'll be exposed to other dogs then I'd also suggest a bordetella vaccine as well. At/after 16 weeks she'll need her rabies vaccine and can be spayed. It's easiest to get her microchipped when she's under for the spay too. There are discount spay/neuter options out there and clinics for microchips (if you want to save a little $)

the majority of puppies and kittens are born with internal parasites (roundworms & hookworms being the most common). They're usually given 2-3 rounds of dewormer (liquid or pill). If you bought the puppy from a breeder then the breeder should have given it at least one round. If they are skinny and stringy then they are probably roundworms or hookworms. Tapeworm eggs are harder to see but they are shorter round segments (egg sacs).

Careful, all those internal parasites are zoonotic, which means they can be transferred to humans. (usually through ingestion of feces) so be careful and wash your hands and pick up after her when she goes to the bathroom and dispose of it in a tied off bag.

Petsmart does sell an over the counter dewormer that you could use in the meantime. There is a blue box (pill form) thats easier to give or a few brands of liquid dewormer. Give the appropiate dosage. It's not as good as the stuff the vet will give you but is a start.

Good luck with the new puppy. If you have any questions - ask.
I teach Animal Science and have tons of experience from rescuing/fostering, raising my own dogs, working in vets and shelters, etc...



adorable puppy! I love goldens!



[Edited on November 25, 2007 at 12:10 PM. Reason : have you picked out a vet yet?]

11/25/2007 12:06:46 PM

Hey, only pick up the stuff at petsmart if it's got either pyrantel or fenbendazole. You'll probably find one or the other, likely pyrantel. That is also what your vet will give you regardless of whether he finds eggs in her stool sample.

11/25/2007 12:25:27 PM

Just talked to my wife (she's a vet)... Your vet should already have your puppy on a deworming schedule. Just call your vet on Monday to verify. You could very well be seeing dead worms being passed from the treatment. The treatments are scheduled to catch the different life cycles of the worms so they won't give any early or out of order. The blood in the stool is something to keep an eye on. It could be worms in the large intestines (whipworms) but it could also be something unrelated to the worms. Just monitor it and contact your vet if it continues or gets worse.

11/25/2007 12:27:11 PM

no blood today, just rice-like things in the poop, i think we will make a vet appt for her tomorrow to get this handled. She seems to be having no problems with digestion, etc and has a healthy appetite, but better safe than sorry.

Thanks for the help - wouldn't want anything to happen to the pup

11/25/2007 1:26:38 PM

aids

11/25/2007 2:41:52 PM

^^ that's pretty typical of tape worms which come from fleas, just a fyi.

11/25/2007 3:36:55 PM

You can bank on a 7 week old puppy having worms. Its completely normal, and not that big of a worry. Just make sure to mention that she may need a worming at her next vet visit. Sometimes, 6 weeks is a little young for a worm treatment - most places prefer 8 weeks old. They'll do a fecal float to make sure they treat all the necessary parasites. The rice like worms are usually tapeworms, but round worms look more like white dots. Both are normal for puppies, but I bet she probably has some hookworms too. If she has pooped in the house, be sure to clean the spot VERY good and wear socks/shoes around the house till she is treated and you can steam clean the carpet, because you COULD get worms from her.

11/25/2007 11:48:14 PM