It is often very difficult to tell if a dog is suffering from worms. It’s even harder to tell if your puppy has worms, and many owners are worried that normal worming treatments may not be applicable for young puppies.

However, worms are a common problem for all dogs, and it is essential to regularly worm your dog throughout its life to prevent them from causing more serious problems.

Almost all puppies have intestinal worms from birth. These are spread to the embryonic pups in the mother’s uterus and later, after birth, through her milk.

The worms are at this stage merely as microscopic larvae and do no harm whatsoever to the puppy. However, eventually the larvae will move through the body to the gut and develop into adult worms. If the number of worms in the gut is small, there are usually no symptoms or signs and the worms are harmless.

However, puppies can often develop more serious infestations, and this can cause problems in the digestive tract in particular. This is often indicated by rapid weight loss and the signs of worms in the dog’s faeces.

As with older dogs, regular worming is needed to keep any worm infestations under control. Drontal and other dog worming preparations produce specifically designed treatments for puppies, and are readily available from pet suppliers and through your vet.

Dogs over six months old are usually fairly immune to worms and will rarely suffer from them.