Worms, Bacteria, and Other Parasites that affect Puppies and Dogs

After 25+ years of breeding, you can imagine I’ve seen it all…and heard it all…so I am sharing all of this based on that experience, plus the experience of other seasoned breeders who have even more experience than I do!

If you breed any number of years, have dogs come to your kennel for stud service, send your dogs to dog shows, and let your dogs enjoy the outdoors (and pick up things in their mouths that they shouldn’t!) , there are certain things you can never get away from…that is parasites and worms. Now, all my pups are raised indoors…the mother is wormed and treated before she whelps, and when pups are born, their puppy box is disinfected with disinfectant (the one used in veterinary hospitals!) every other day. Bedding is changed daily or more if needed. Pups are wormed starting at 2 weeks of age and are wormed every 2 weeks after that. Two stool samples are taken to ensure the fecal float is negative. I STILL recommend that you take your pup to the vet for a “well puppy visit” when you get home because puppies CAN reinfest themselves in even the most sterile environments as ours (they don’t exactly watch where they walk!)…or a visitor can walk into my house with eggs or spores on their shoes, and it can be transferred to the pups. Some spores are airborne….some are in rain water, some are in puddles outside in the yard (like giardia). This is why we are proactive in every way…and also ask you to be as well.

Certain bacteria, such as coccidia, may not even show up in a stool sample, and can lie dormant for years even. BUT when a pup comes under stress…these bacteria replicate and can then show up after your pup goes home…it is NOT due to neglect or unsanitary conditions on the part of the breeder…these are animals, and these things happen. I refuse to keep my pups and dogs cooped up in kennels… this is not a good or natural environment or life for a dog. We like them to be involved with our family, indoor life, and outdoor exercise on a daily basis!

All of our adult dogs are treated on a monthly basis to prevent intestinal worms and any intestinal bacteria.

Just as we humans transfer flu, colds, and other viruses and germs to each other, why would we expect it to be any different with dogs??? I’m sure you would NEVER blame a young mother for her “unsanitary conditions” as the reason her child is sick, and make her feel guilty…why would you do so with a dog??? I have had clients literally FREAK over a common puppy parasite or worm, even though my vet and their vet assure them and say “what’s the big deal?? This is normal. Sometimes one more worming after a pup goes home is needed. This is when reinfestation is minimal.

Unfortunately, some people expect their puppy to be 100% perfect, and expect them to be 100% free of anything. We are dealing with living things in a world that is not free of germs or diseases.
With that said, let me also stress, that although we vaccinate our puppies, there are STILL viruses out there that do NOT have a vaccine available for them. This is why we recommend the NuVet supplement.

NuVet Plus Canine Supplements

NuVet has several ingredients that strengthen the immune system, and overall health of your dog, making it less vulnerable to viruses, germs and other common dog illnesses.  NuVet will provide this protection THROUGHOUT the dog’s lifetime. I warn people about ever taking their dog off this supplement.  Would you suddenly stop taking YOUR supplements on a daily basis?  I’m sure you wouldn’t, and your family canine member deserves no less…

***Interesting information!!!  Quite a few years back now, NuVet was on the news in regards to the Diamond Dog Food poisoning… many kennels lost all of their dogs.  Two of those kennels were in GA, and interestingly, the dogs who were on NuVet DID NOT die! It strengthened their liver. The ones not on Nuvet died of liver failure.  Veterinarians in the area researched this incident, and indeed confirmed, NuVet literally saved these dogs lives!!****

Fact!

• Surveys show that 100% of kennel dogs , 50% of pups, and 10% of other well-cared dogs carry giardia at some time in their life. This can be picked up from water, the air, or transmission from human to dog, or dog to dog.
• Coccidia is in the intestinal lining of every dog, when under stress, it tends to replicate, and even when it does not show itself on a fecal float, it will appear suddenly after a pup goes home, due to puppy stress in the new environment.
• Roundworms – are transferred through the mother, all pups are born with them…sometimes (very rarely) not…we treat starting at 2 weeks old!
• Hookworms, whipworms – common intestinal worms, although my pups rarely, if ever, have them.

Just some things to be aware of, as we try to educate our clients as much as we can before bringing their new pup home! We wish you many years of health and happiness with your new labby family member! 🙂