Bringing a new puppy home can be an exciting time that’s full of challenges.
Puppies rely on their owners to meet all of their needs, and it can take weeks for a pup to acclimate to a new home and adapt to a routine.
New puppy parents may be surprised to learn their puppy – particularly one rescued from a shelter – has parasitic worms.
This is a common occurrence. It is due to the combination of daily admissions of dogs from diverse backgrounds and the difficulty of preventing environmental contamination with infectious parasitic developmental stages. Shelters provide favorable conditions for the establishment and spread of GI parasitic infections.
Worms are transmitted in various ways, and many result from pups walking through the infected waste of other dogs.
Some dogs ingest contaminated feces or develop infections after being in an environment where there is a buildup of waste and poor sanitation. The American Kennel Club says worms also can be passed from an infected mother to her unborn puppies in-utero or through nursing.
By and large, worms are not something that should be terribly concerning. With the right treatment and preventative care at Park Avenue Animal Hospital, most parasitic worms, like roundworms, hookworms, heartworms, and whipworms, can be treated effectively.
However, if left untreated, worms can compromise the health of a puppy, potentially contributing to anemia, low weight/poor growth, diarrhea, and inflammation.
Some symptoms of worms include:
б pot belly appearance
б vomiting
б coughing
б weight loss
б diarrhea
б abdominal pain
б visual confirmation of worms in stool
Park Avenue Animal Hospital can walk new pet parents through deworming their young dogs. Medications produce results in a matter of hours and will immobilize worms in the digestive tract before they’re soon expelled.
Park Avenue Animal Hospital is a full-service small animal hospital, and since 2010, they have been voted Best Vet in Apopka in the Best of Apopka contest. They are honored to serve the families and fine furry friends of this great community! They would like to extend their sincere thank you to everyone who has voted for them over the years.
Their experienced doctors and highly trained staff of professionals are dedicated to providing you and your pet with preventative and emergency medical procedures.
At Park Avenue Animal Hospital, they believe in doing everything possible to ensure your pets health and quality of life. As with people, diagnosing illnesses and diseases early on will greatly help the chances of restoring your pet to their optimal health.
Annual exams should include basic blood work and urine lab work, as well as examination of the physical body. In addition to the annual exams, surgery, radiology, other medical treatment, bathing, and dentistry are other procedures that can be assessed and performed at this Apopka location.
You can visit Park Avenue Animal Hospital at 847 N. Park Avenue in Apopka. Their hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon. You can also visit them online at www.parkavenuevets.com. They can be reached by phone at 407-880-9446 or by fax at 407-884-5654.
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