Hi

When is the best time to worm a mated bitch? and what is the best to use. Last time I used something that had to be given everyday for 20 days before the pups were born, nightmare. Cant remember the name but have a feeling it was Panacur. Would like to avoid this again if possible as it caused a lot of stress during the last stages of her pregnancy as she wouldnt take it and it always ended in a fight.

Thanks

Wendy

i use drontal tablets and they are to be given every 3 weeks through out pregnancy and lactation and then goes back onto the normal 3 months treatment. Which is what my vet sells and recommends i dont know if it is sold where you are but i would discuss worming options with you vet.

I may be wrong (I'm sure someone will correct me), but I was under the impression that the ONLY safe wormer to be used on pregnant bitches is Panacur. I prefer to worm the bitch as soon as she comes into season (with Drontol), then worm her with Panacur along with the pups. This is the regime the breeder of my bitch used and she never had any problems with wormy pups.

I too was told that the only safe one was Panacur.  It was given as crystals on her food, with no problems whatsoever.

same here - panacur granules from day 40 to 2 days post whelp.never had any problems with this.

However I know people (several) that have had pups die after being dosed with Panacur, so with my last litter I made sure to ask around a lot of people and pretty much everyone said don't use Panacur, stick with Drontal. I used the liquid for the pups and that worked fine, tablets for the bitch.

I don`t use any worming chemicals so no worries for for me or my lot, have them fecal tested & they`ve all tested negative up to now :D

just so you know testing fecal isnt always reliable because if the dog is not infested or it is only carrying eggs it wont show up and not treating for worms can be harmful to unborn litters. Search google for intestinal worms and it will tell you everything you need to know on testing, treatment, and the different tyes (where they attach what they look like ect)

Why isn`t fecal testing safe

it is safe it just isnt always accurate because sometimes the worms dont show in fecal even though they are there. There are blood test you can get that have been known to be more accurate.

Whip worm is often a light infection and generally cant be seen under a microscope in fecal because its not there

hookworms and tapeworm , roundworm eggs can generally be seen in fecal but if the infestation is very light it can be difficult

all of these worm eggs are picked u from the soil outside and a female roundworm can produce 2000 eggs a day and the roundworm is the one that a puppy can get from suckling from mum

hookworm can be transmitted whilst still in the placenta and they are born with it hookworms suck blood and can be lethal to a unborn or new born pup the hookworm generally is infected through the skin (the paw the belly or legs anything that may touch the ground when standing or lying)

tapeworm is transmitted thru fleas so if your dog is flea treated then that wont be a concern tapeworms mainly cause loose stools and irratation of the anus but is not generally seen in puppies before 12 weeks of age unless there is a flea infestation

Whipworm infection causes bloody diarrhoea, weight loss, anaemia and dehydration, but diagnosis is very difficult and may require several exams. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pain and mucus-laden stools streaked with blood. A large number of worms (more than 2,000 in some cases) can cause anaemia.

Hi S, if the infection is so slight I doubt it would be a bother then would it?

As far as myself & my vet are concerned, fecal testing is a lot more reliable than just using chemical wormers for the sake of it ;)

And my vet also gives me a letter certifying my dogs/pups worm free so he must be pretty confidant of the absence of them to do that :)

Product info for Drontal Plus & Plus XL -

For routine treatment a single dose is recommended.
Puppies should be treated at 2 weeks of age and every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age. Thereafter they should be treated at 3 month intervals. It is advisable to treat the bitch at the same time as the puppies.
For the control of Toxocara, nursing bitches should be dosed 2 weeks after giving birth and every two weeks until weaning.
For routine control adult dogs should be treated every 3 months. For routine treatment a single dose is recommended. In the event of heavy roundworm infestation a repeat dose should be given after 14 days.

Use During Pregnancy and Lactation
Consult a veterinary surgeon before treating pregnant animals for roundworms.
The product may be used during lactation.
Do not exceed recommended dose when treating pregnant bitches.

Bit ambiguous over pregnancy to say the least?  I use Panacur and have used it for 4 generations now.

I use Drontal but not as frequently as they state as I feel it's way too much, but that is just my opinion.

Hi

thanks

It was Panacur I used last time in liquid form. Instead of syringing it into her could i put it on her food instead. It was the one suitable for small dogs?

Thanks

Wendy

Panacur Liquid -

*The dose should be mixed into feed, or administered by mouth directly after feeding.*

It says the same for both strenths :)

Hi

thats great, makes things so much easier if it can go on the food.

Thanks, will have to order some in

Wendy

Certainly is B/L :rolleyes:

Hi,

When worming it is best not to stick with the same product as worms can build up an immunity.

That's interesting.  I have never heard of worms adapting in this way, have you any references to the studies showing this?

i asked my vet the same thing he said no ( it happens in horses that i no)

When I qualified to do pml and some pharmacy products in animals it was in my training that resistance hasnt been demonstrated in dogs (but has in larger animals, however no studies have been done in small animals) in the uk, but you should be aware that rotating is less likley to induce a resistance problem.  Look at the spectrum of activity and match that to the risk factors of your dog including contra indications.  If you use good flea control tapeworms will be less of an issue but if you feed meat it would be a good idea to change wormers periodically unless you are doing a stool sample to check you are clearing out all worms each time.

I checked this with the VMD to make sure I had my info correct....sorry for the delay in replying!!

If no studies have been done in small animals (assuming this means dogs :)) how has this been demonstrated?  
Of course rotating would be less likely to induce a resistance problem but if no problem is known to exist you then have to consider is it worth it when some dogs do not do well on the alternatives.  In the light of no evidence offered to suggest there is any problem I think I will continue to use the product I have used for years that my dog tolerates well and which has never failed to do the job :)

Isabel,

Yes, I do agree with you, however, I do know some people who have used a product for years and then had stool samples done to find worms present.  The problem in small animals (dogs and cats) has not been studied however if it can be present in a larger animal ie horses then you could assume that it will be the same for dogs.  It does depend on how well you treat fleas and what you feed.  One finds it difficult to assist sometimes without knowing the feeding regimes.  I tend to find people who feed the barf diet have this problem.  I would suggest getting an egg count done to make sure that the product your dogs tolerates is working well for you.