# How do dogs get worms?



## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

just wondering...?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

tapeworms from ingesting fleas

other worms from licking feet where eggs are deposited from other dogs feces or actaully eating feces

those are the most common


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

how do we prevent?


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## apeterson (Aug 3, 2005)

shots...


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

rodents are also a major cause of worms in dogs so if you dog happens to get a squirrel or mouse don't let him/her eat it


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

kinda scary the other day my pup came runnign up to me with a dead mouse in her mouth, scolded her.....


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## psychohistory (Nov 19, 2006)

When puppies are born, you have to dewrom them. If the mom doesn't have worms, how come the puppies do?
Thanks! I'm very perplexed!


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

they get worms from eating dog poop too!


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

ive never heard that befor?????


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## psychohistory (Nov 19, 2006)

But the puppies only eat their mother's milk...how do they get the worms if the mom doesn't have them?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

the mother does have them


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## dogdoc (Oct 31, 2004)

Puppies get round and hookworms from transplacental (crossing the placental blood supply while in the uterus) migration and also through the mothers milk. The mother may not have an active infection in the intestinal tract, but the larvae of these parasites encyst or go dormant in the skeletal muscle of the female and stay that way until she is ready to whelp which seems to activate them. So even though your vet may say your female is all clear when he or she checks a fecal sample, that doesn't tell you if she has dormant larvae in her muscle tissue.

That is why it is so important to start deworming your litters at 2 weeks of age. The life cycle of these parasites is three weeks. I've seen uninformed breeders lose entire litters at three weeks of age from hookworm anemia.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

All mine are covered with their once a month ivermec dosage. Covers parasites and heartworm.

Do not overlook your dogs health - waaaaayyy too important.

This is the truest analogy to the old saying; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I use it also, but Ivermectin doesn't cover all of them


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## twopopper (Sep 24, 2006)

Horker23 said:


> they get worms from eating dog poop too!


This is true, but it also causes bad breath!!!!!!!! uke: :lol: :lol:


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## dogdoc (Oct 31, 2004)

Bobm is correct. Ivomec doesn't cover all of them. If it did, why would Merk add Pyrantel pamoate to Heartgaurd to make Heartgard PLus? It could be Ivomec would cover all of them at higher doses, but could be toxic or fatal to your dog at doses high enough to cover all parasites. Be very careful and you better know what you're doing or you could kill your dog. Not giving advice, just a word of caution.


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## psychohistory (Nov 19, 2006)

Thanks, dogdoc. We gave our puppies their de-wormer today at 4 weeks.


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