What can I expect when I de-worm my puppies?

My husband and I are fostering two 4 month old lab puppies who have a lot of white worms in their feces. I have seen little white worms crawling out of their anus as well.

The vet gave me a de-worming medication and told me that for extreme cases (I'm assuming these pups will be an extreme case) that I can expect diarrhea and vomiting with live worms up to 7 inches long.

Will I be able to put the puppies in their crates overnight and during the day while I'm at work? Will they have accidents in their crates? It is a Monday night. Am I better to wait until the weekend when my husband and I can be around during the day?

HELP please! I've had plenty of dogs before, but never a puppy and never a dog with an active case of worms.




Hi
This is a tricky one, because the puppies need to be dewormed asap due to the severity of the infestation. However, chances are that they will have difficulty in controlling their bowel movements and will most likely have diarrhea and vomiting as a result of the worms/medication.

I can only suggest that you call your veterinarian and express your concerns to him. Ask him if there is a significant risk involved in leaving the deworming until Friday. He has examined these pups and should be able to give you an expert opinion.

Even though these puppies should normally have adequate bowel/bladder control due to their age, to be able to go the whole night without a potty break. Due to their worm problem and the medication, they may need to be taken outside for a break at least once, maybe more, for the first few nights.

I wish you the best of luck with these little guys, they're lucky to have found a loving home.