How Does Liquid Wormer for Puppies Work?

The thought of worms living inside your rambunctious puppy is disgusting, but it’s virtually unavoidable. Dogs attract parasites. Your veterinarian will want to check a sample of your four-legged pal’s stool to determine which type of worms he has before prescribing a worming medication. A liquid wormer works similarly to other forms of wormers, although it's up to your vet to determine whether liquid wormer is the best form for your situation.

Typically, all dogs become infected with intestinal parasites at some time or another. Newborn puppies are often born with worms they get before birth. Sometimes puppies can get worms through their mother’s milk while nursing or by coming into contact with the droppings from an infected puppy.

As soon as a liquid wormer gets into your furry friend’s system, it heads down to his digestive tract and goes to work. Liquid wormers are a type of poison, but they’re designed to kill pests, not to harm your dog. The primary function of the medication is to kill any worms and destroy eggs that are nesting in the digestive tract. Once everything is dead, as fecal waste moves through, it gets pushed out with your pooch’s bowel movements.

One single type of wormer formula will not kill every kind of worm. This is why it’s important for your veterinarian to conduct a thorough exam and get a stool sample to determine exactly which parasite lives in your pooch. Puppies tend to have ascarids, which grow up to be roundworms. However, tapeworms, whipworms, hookworms and other type of worms can be making homes in his gut. Depending on the species of worm and your vet's preferred method of treatment, he may prescribe a liquid, tablet or capsule medication to get rid of the specific type of pest.

Leaving worms untreated leads to severe intestinal distress and malnutrition. While there's no guarantee that worms won't sneak in again, you can do a few things to lessen the risk. If your puppy has an outdoor kennel run, line the bottom with gravel or cover it with concrete. Dry dirt runs are ideal breeding grounds for eggs and larvae to flourish. Gravel and cement, on the other hand, are easy to hose down and keep clean. Pick up his solid waste on a daily basis. And when you take your fur ball out for a walk or to the park, don’t let him near droppings from other dogs. You never know if they’re infected with parasites.