Spaghetti in your puppy's poop?

Anne's new family called me today because she had worms in her poop as well as in her vomit. They were concerned, so I figured I would share with all of you that this is completely normal and no reason for concern.

All of the puppies went to the vet yesterday and received their first full spectrum dewormer. We deworm our puppies at 2, 4 and 6 weeks, but those dewormer do not work on hookworms. Puppies have to be at a certain age before they can receive a dewormer that will work for all intestinal parasites. So if you picked up your dog yesterday (Friday) or will receive it today, you will find roundworms in your puppy's poop. The dewormer causes some puppies to vomit, which is why you can find expelled worms in their vomit as well. 

Not to ruin your dinner, but here is what roundworms look like

While it is a rather disgusting experience, it is necessary for your puppy to get rid of them. Puppies are born with worms, or their eggs to be precise, and all puppies do have worms. A dog is unlikely to be completely worm free throughout his or her life, which is why vets recommend to deworm your dog about 4 times a year. Mind you that most heartworm prevention medications already include a full spectrum dewormer! I personally recommend Diatomaceous Earth to keep your dog's worm population low. Here is an article about it!

It only takes about 48 hours until all the adult worms are expelled. It is recommended to deworm your dog again at 12 weeks and 16 weeks, which is the same time as their second and third round of shots are due.