How to Treat Worms Safely While a Dog Is Pregnant
Your pregnant dog (or bitch) can pass intestinal parasites to her unborn puppies if she is not treated for worms during her gestation. Roundworms pass the placental barrier and enter the digestive system of the fetus causing diarrhea and nutritional deficits when the puppy is born. Hookworms, tapeworms and Giardia transfer from the mother to the puppy after birth because of the litter's close proximity to the mother's fecal material. Veterinarians regularly recommend treating the pregnant bitch with fenbendazole (trade name Panacur) because of its mild properties. The Reference Manual for Veterinary Parasitology by William J. Foreyt states, that fenbendazole also kills the other intestinal parasites seen in mothers and puppies.
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Instructions
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1
Ascertain the day of gestation by counting forward from the last day of breeding. You will begin treatment on day 40 of the pregnancy.
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2
Weigh your mother dog on the fortieth day of gestation.
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3
Determine the fenbendazole dosage: divide your dog's weight in pounds by 2.2 to find the weight in kilos, then multiply that number by 50 to discover the number of milligrams to give them daily. For example, the dose for a 22-lb. dog is:
22 lb. divided by 2.2 = 10 kg.
10 kg times 50 mg = 500 mg
Since fenbendazole is formulated in a 100 mg per milliliter oral suspension, the mother's dose is 5 ml. -
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Draw the liquid medicine into the syringe, making certain that you are extracting the correct dosage for your animal.
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Squirt your dog's mouth with the medicine once a day beginning on day 40 of gestation and continuing until three days after whelping (birth of the puppies).
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Tips & Warnings
Fenbendazole treats your pregnant dog and her puppies for hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and Giardia, as well as roundworms.
Veterinarians recommend maintaining your bitch on her monthly heartworm preventative medication as it has been deemed safe for pregnant dogs.
According to the Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs by Mark G. Papich, fenbendazole has a good safety margin, but some "vomiting and diarrhea have been reported."
Take your mother dog and her new family for a veterinary examination within the first week after birth. The vet will examine both mother and puppies for any signs of illness and intestinal parasites, and may recommend further dosing of anti-parasitic medicines.
