Hello - my 6 month old puppy has just been sick and I was horrified to see a number of live spaghetti type worms which I assume are roundworms. His appetite hasn't been so good the last couple of days but today he ate well but of course it's all just come up. His poo has been fine, I've seen nothing odd there. He's been so well and full of energy. I had picked up worming tablets for him and my elderly dog just last Tuesday but hadn't given them - I have now though! In all my years of dog ownership this is the first worm issue I've come across so a little advice would be appreciated. Now I've given the tablet will it start to work quite quickly? Is it ok to feed him as normal - he's really peckish now he's been sick, understandably I guess. I've just given him a few biscuits to settle him. Will the tablet kill the worms so they pass in poo or are they more likely to make him sick again?
I can't believe what a horrible sight it was, poor lad, I had no idea.

The correct dose of a vet prescribed wormer should do the trick, it will kill and purge worms and eggs.
He should return to normal now unless the worm burden has weakened him.

Thank you. I'll be keeping a close eye on him. He's certainly showed no signs of any problem. He's full of energy, bright and alert and no tummy problems, in fact this is the first time he's vomitted since we had him mid October. He's been a bit picky about food recently but he seems more fussy than anything because he'll eat some things but not others and we thought it was due to his teething.

Have you been worming the pup and the dog at the same time,  every time? 

I ask because the worming tablet only gets rid of the worms and eggs on that day.  

If the dog is carrying a worm burden,  the pup will get them again within a very short time -  as soon as they come into contact with the eggs! .   And of course,  the older dog will catch worms from the pup too,  if the pup isn't wormed at the same time as the dog.

Wormers are not preventative,  they simply kill the worms that the dog/pup has,  some wormers also kill the eggs.

Yes both given at the same time. My elderly chap has never had fleas or worms but he's been lead walked for some years now as him mobility is poor so we know he's not picking anything nasty up but as soon as pup came along I started to treat them both. It's strange how dogs differ with fleas etc - my previous two often suffered with fleas but my dear old boy now never has. I found two on the pup a couple of weeks ago so have to treat both.

Yes,  my Tibetan Terrier was the biggest flea and tick magnet I've ever seen

My Bedlingtons don't seem to be very attractive to fleas,  although I've met some that are.    It also depends on how many cats you have around and whether they are treated.    When we still had grass in the garden,  my then dog was always getting fleas.   We turned the small patch of grass into a patio and problem solved (tiny garden)

Dogs don't have to eat nasties to acquire worms,  the eggs are very sticky and can be picked up anywhere that they are lurking.   Faeces from untreated dogs,  foxes,  cats etc.    And the soil can be infected too,  where infected animals have defecated and it hasn't been removed.   So if pup or dog walks through faeces containing worm eggs, or on land contaminated with them,   they can be caught that way,  since most dogs clean their feet with their tongues.

How often had he been wormed up to now? I used to worm monthly from 2 months to six months (assuming pup had been wormed at least twice before 8 weeks) then every three months thereafter, but when I found live roundworms in poo at 7 months, after following this protocol, I now worm every month-and-a-half from 6 months to a year, and I vary the product between Drontal and Milbemax, just in case.

I have always used to advise monthly to a year but latterly have said monthly to 6 months.  Think maybe I will say 12 months again, especially with the risk of lungworm, especially in young dogs.

I'm feeling so guilty about this and he's really not himself today. He's not interested in food apart from the odd treat although he's been happily running about in the garden but he's certainly quieter than normal. His poop was fine this morning, as it always is. How long should the wormer take to work, I had in my head that I'd see something this morning.
His paperwork when I picked him up shows he'd been wormed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks. I did it at 12 weeks and then it says every 3 months which is why I'd picked up wormers for both dogs last Tuesday. Obviously this hasn't been enough or he's just been incredibly unlucky.
If he doesn't perk up then I'll take him to the vet first thing in the morning. Does his behaviour today sound normal for what's happened?. Until last night he'd shown none of the signs I've since read about and has been as lively as ever but I'm feeling so sad and guilty that I must have missed something.

Wormers are strong and will tend to make a pup a little quiet

Thank you. I'm getting quite upset, usually I'm chasing him about trying to stop him being naughty and today I'm desperate for him to be naughty :-(