Bertie turned 8 months old last week and he’s been part of our family for six very wonderful months. He has settled in marvellously; taking toilet training and the chaos of our household in his stride.
His favourite places to explore are the beach and the woods, and we’ve found that we get out exploring much more as a family now that Bertie is around. We’ve also discovered that so many places are dog friendly, including one of our favourite brunch spots, so our very loved cockapoo pup pretty much comes everywhere with us!
Becoming a dog owner is a huge responsibility. A large percentage of life with a dog is cuddles and licks (Bertie is currently snoozing next to me while I write this!), but there are other aspects to having a pooch that people don’t realise. And I’m not just talking about picking up poop – although that is incredibly important!
Worming – and treating worms – is a huge part of being a responsible dog owner.
Did you know that dogs can easily be infected by worms?
- I know Bertie’s breeder was very proactive with worming, but female dogs can pass on roundworm infections to their puppies before the puppies have even been born. This means almost all puppies can become infected by roundworm this way.
- Bertie LOVES to eat rabbit poo (so very gross) and has also recently discovered horse poo (also very gross), dogs really will eat anything! Worm eggs passed in the faeces of an infected pet can be present in the soil, so if your pet swallows soil, they can become infected with worms that way as well.
- Also, not something that has happened to us yet, but if your pet eats a mouse, bird or rabbit, they can catch intestinal worms.
In most cases, you won’t even know your pet is infected, as intestinal worms stay hidden inside the gut (did you know tapeworms can grow up to 16ft inside?!). But there are some common symptoms to watch out for:
- dragging of the bottom along the ground (scooting)
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- a dull coat
- loss of appetite
- lack of energy
- a pot belly (in puppies)
Something I discovered whilst researching worming treatments before we got Bertie was that certain types of worms can be transmitted from animals to humans. Young children are at the greatest risk, and it is recommended that you worm your beloved pooch at least every three months – or monthly if you do have small children.
We worm Bertie every month as the life cycle of the most common roundworm, Toxocara, can be completed in as little as one month. This means that regular worming will reduce the risk of infection and also hugely reduces the chances of Bertie shedding worm eggs. After all, it is these eggs that can present a threat to people, especially children; in extreme cases they can even cause problems with vision and blindness.
Regular worming in line with the life cycle of the worm helps to keep pets worm free and provides optimal protection against this threat: treat your dog, protect your whole family.
There are so many worming products on the market, but Drontal is clinically-proven to kill every kind of intestinal worm commonly found in UK cats and dogs. I would definitely recommend using Drontal against intestinal worms. For more information and to find out more about parasite prevention visit the www.drontalandadvantage.co.uk website.
Our kids bring them home from school lol. You make me
Want a dog now - but with everything going on I’ll stick with Erasmws the cat! There is just so much to think about when you’re a pet owner - much like having a kid it’s preparing!
Your post has reminded me that despite Bertie being cute I am definitely not a dog person, because eugh! But I am a cat person and obviously they have worms too. Fleas too. It’s so important to get dates in the calendar of when to give them treatment.
It feels like you have had him a lot longer than 6 months! I would love a dog x
Yes!! So important! When we brought Daisy home from the farm she was born at she had worms but it took us a few days to realise with her being our first dog. It was horrid but thankfully it was sorted after one treatment
Awww he’s such a cutie! I had no idea that you needed to worm dogs so often when you have young children.
Oh he is just the cutest isn’t he? It’s important to look after their health - I think people forget the little bits like this that need doing regularly!