As an owner of a puppy, you are probably well aware of the importance of keeping your puppy safe from worms and other harmful parasites. They can cause a plethora of health mishaps, including rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and the list goes on and on. While there are tons of puppy worm medications to choose from, sometimes worms can seem inevitable for a puppy. One of these situations is when a puppy contracts worms from their mother. Unfortunately, puppies can even contract worms while they are still inside their mother’s womb. We will discuss that topic today, and explain exactly why do puppies have worms when they are born.
Why Do Puppies Have Worms When They Are Born
Puppies have worms when they are born for three reasons: contracted in the womb, transferred through milking, waste, and grooming.
Contracted in the womb
Unfortunately, it is very common for puppies to get worms from their mother while they are still in the womb. This occurs when the mother has been infected by worms during her pregnancy. Most worms (especially roundworms) spread the fastest in a pregnant dog’s body because the hormones that are produced as a result of pregnancy actually create food for the worms to feed on. After the worms are in the pregnant mother’s belly, they can crawl through the womb and into the womb to the placenta before the puppy is born. It is very important that you check your puppy for worms right when they are born, as a worm infestation in puppies can be detrimental to their health and development.
Milking
Another common way that a puppy gets worms when they are born is through the nursing of their mother. If a mother dog is infected with worms, the worms can spread to their stomach and into their milk. Thus, the puppy can contract the worms when they get milk from their mother. If you notice that the mother has worms, you should not let the puppy drink their milk. You should offer the puppy milk replacement or other nutritional liquids.
Waste
Puppies are naturally curious animals, and this can bite them in the butt when it comes to staying safe from worms. Since worms typically leave a dog’s body through their poop, their waste can have a high concentration of worms and their eggs. If a puppy starts snooping around the poop of a worm infected dog, the worms can easily spread to the puppy. This is why it is extremely important to keep a close eye on your puppy at all times, and make sure he never eats any waste from another animal.
Grooming
Lastly, a puppy can get worms when they are born from being groomed by their mother. Mother dogs commonly groom their newborns to keep them clean, as well as to stimulate them to drink their milk. It is very important that you treat a mother dog as soon as possible for worms, so that the mother doesn’t spread worms to the newborn while grooming.
Treating worms in puppies and dogs
One interesting way to treat worms in dogs is to use goat dewormer. You should read more on our article safeguard goat dewormer for dogs.
