It’s no secret that young puppies are more likely to have intestinal worms than young adult dogs, but parasites are not something that your dog will grow out of. Your young dog is still susceptible to heartworms, fleas, ticks and, yes, even intestinal worms.
Protect your young dog year-round
As climate change occurs, the geographic ranges and active seasons of parasites are expanding. Year-round parasite preventives that cover heartworms, intestinal worms, fleas and ticks are recommended.
Heartworms
Heartworms, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, have been diagnosed in all four seasons and in all 50 states. Warm spells in the winter can cause mosquitoes to reactivate, and mosquitoes can remain active year-round indoors or within urban “heat islands” around structures and parking lots.
Fleas and ticks
Fleas and ticks can multiply indoors year-round and overwinter in garages and barns. In some areas, the active season of these parasites is pushing 10 months out of the year.
Intestinal worms
Roundworm and whipworm eggs can survive freezing temperatures, meaning your dog is susceptible year-round.
Parasites that aren’t covered by prevention
Some parasites, such as Giardia or coccidia, are not covered by your young dog’s monthly parasite preventive. These parasites can infest your dog if they drink contaminated water or lick items contaminated by feces.
You can help prevent the spread of parasites by picking up your dog’s fecal matter. You should also prevent your dog from eating the feces of other animals or drinking water from small puddles or bodies of water that could be contaminated with the fecal matter of other animals.
Fecal testing in young dogs
Your VCA care team will recommend routine fecal examinations every 6 months to rule out intestinal parasites. These tests will ensure that your parasite prevention is effective, which is important as we see increased resistance to parasiticides. The test can also detect coccidia and Giardia, which common parasite preventives don’t treat.
Find veterinarian-approved parasite preventives and tips on why parasite prevention is so important.
