What you should know about WORMS!

             Many people are not aware of the fact that EVERY puppy is born with worms. I know, yucky
huh? How could such a cute little pup have yucky worms?  Well, they do. It's a fact in the puppy
world and it has nothing to do with the breeder. The CDC recommends wormings beginning at 2
weeks, and to continue every 2 weeks until 8 weeks of age, then once a month until 6 months of
age, then yearly after that. Since you will be normally taking a puppy home between 8-9 weeks of
age, you would be taking your puppy in for vet services the day after pick up for an initial vet check,
then at 12 weeks and 16 weeks of age to get the shots & wormings that are necessary. Remember
that no puppy has all of their shots until the 16 week mark. You will be given a vaccination record to
take with you to your vet appointment so they know the wormings and shots the puppy has already
had up to the 8 week mark.  

Another fact is that any worm a puppy can have, people can get! So, when bringing home a new
puppy, you need to be sure that everyone in the household washes their hands with warm soapy
water after handling the puppy. Don't let your puppy put its paws in your face or mouth in case
anything is on their paws. You should wash your puppy the minute you bring it home, before you
settle it in, and make sure the coat is completely dry. This way if there are any unseen eggs on the
fur you are washing that off before it tracks anything through your house.  ***If you did not pick your
puppy up in person from a Breeder's home, and you have just picked your puppy up from the
airport, however, it may be a little nervous from the trip already, and you may not want to stress it
out with a bath right away, so you may want to wait until the next day to give the puppy a bath.   Just
remember, that the puppy was definitely not clean from the trip, so bedding, toys, and flooring, you
will want to wash that next day as well.

YOU MUST bring in a stool sample to your first vet visit and have them check for everything on this
list. You will continue to wash your hands after handling the puppy until you eventually get a clear
fecal test at your vet.  For the first two weeks, Use potty pads in your puppy's Ex-Pen for all potty
until you get a clear result from your vet. Once you get the “all clear” it's then ok to begin your potty
training in your backyard.  You will need TWO CLEAR FECAL RESULTS two weeks apart, to be sure
they are clear of everything on this list.  Do not start your backyard potty training until you have the
2nd clear fecal result.  The common worms and parasites a puppy can have are listed below.

Tapeworm (not too common as they have to eat a flea to get this one)
– (sometimes brought out by stress)
Giardia  ***(some vets do not test for this one as routine, so be sure to ask for this one to be added
to all their common tests that they do at your very first vet visit.)

***Keep in mind, even if a puppy shows no signs, they could still have any of these worms hiding in
their system so CHECK FOR EVERYTHING at your first vet check.

It is also VERY important that you get your puppy on a Heartworm medicine, such as Heartguard,
that is once a month. It only takes 1 mosquito bite to infect a dog with heartworm and they could die
from it. It doesn't matter what state you live in.  And finally, you must get your puppy on a once per
month Flea medicine as well, such as Frontline Plus.  This can begin immediately or once you begin
your backyard potty training.  Do this BEFORE you see fleas, once you see them, it's too late!!! So
plan ahead! Even if your dog doesn't spend much time outdoors, if they just go out to potty they can
bring them in that quickly.  Protect your pets.