And don’ts

Setting aside the possibility of puppy death when large numbers of worms are present, Toxocara canis infections cause poor growth, loss of condition (classic pot-bellied look), pneumonia, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatty liver and kidney granulomas. All can be avoided. Pregnant bitches should be wormed daily from the 40th day of pregnancy until at least the second day after whelping with Fenbendazole at a dosage of 25mg/kg. (Practically speaking, this is ¼ml Panacur 10% per kg body weight.) Puppies should be wormed every two weeks from the second week of age up to 12 weeks with 50mg/kg Fenbendazole daily for three days. (So ½ml per kg bodyweight daily for three days every two weeks.) Virtually all bitches will have dormant larvae, no matter what you think. Research into treatment showed it reduces infections in puppies by nearly 90%. Carrying out one-off worming of puppies as they depart for their new homes is simply not good enough.