Health & wellness
When you welcome a new puppy into your home, there’s a lot to remember, from vaccinations, to toilet training, to worming.
Puppies can pick up intestinal worms from their mum before they’re even born or through her milk soon after. Because puppies can be exposed to worms early in life, worming often needs to start sooner than many new puppy parents might realise.
Understanding the basics can make a puppy worming schedule easier to follow. This guide covers when worming commonly starts, common signs of worms, and simple ways to help reduce your puppy’s risk of infection.
Table of contents
- Why it’s important to worm your puppy
- Common worms that affect puppies in Australia
- Puppy worming schedule
- Signs your puppy might have worms
- Worming your puppy
- Help protect your puppy from worms
- How pet insurance can support your puppy’s wellbeing
Why it’s important to worm your puppy
Puppies are particularly vulnerable to intestinal worms. Some may be infected before birth, while others can pick up roundworms through their mother’s milk during the first few weeks of life.
Worms aren’t just unpleasant. Left untreated, they can affect a puppy’s digestion, growth, and overall health. In more serious cases, they can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and difficulty gaining weight.
Some worms can also be passed to people, particularly young children, through contact with contaminated soil or dog faeces.
Because puppies can be exposed to worms from an early age, keeping up with their worming routine is an important part of supporting their health and helping reduce the risk of parasite infections.
Common worms that affect puppies in Australia
Puppies in Australia can be affected by several types of intestinal worms. Not every worming product protects against every type of worm, so it’s worth checking with your vet which treatment is most appropriate for your puppy.
Common worms that affect puppies in Australia include:
- Roundworm: particularly common in puppies and can be passed from mum before birth or while nursing.
- Hookworm: a type of intestinal worm that can affect puppies and adult dogs.
- Whipworm: a type of intestinal worm that may not always cause obvious signs.
- Tapeworm: can be picked up when a dog swallows an infected flea, which is why flea prevention matters too.
Puppy worming schedule
So, when should you worm your puppy? In Australia, puppies are typically wormed every two weeks from about two weeks of age until they’re around 12 weeks old, then monthly until six months of age.
After that, the right schedule depends on the product you’re using, the parasites it covers and your dog’s individual risk. The exact timing, frequency, and type of parasite prevention can vary between puppies, so it’s best to follow your vet’s advice.
In some situations, your vet may also recommend faecal testing to check for signs of intestinal parasites. Whether this is recommended, and how often it may be needed, will depend on your dog’s age, lifestyle, and individual risk factors.
Signs your puppy might have worms
Puppies with worms won’t always appear unwell, and some may show few or no obvious signs. That’s one of the reasons regular worming is important.
When signs do appear, you might notice:
- A swollen or pot-bellied tummy.
- Diarrhoea or vomiting.
- Not gaining weight or growing as expected for their age.
- A dull-looking coat.
- Unusual tiredness.
- Worms or small, rice-like segments in their faeces or around their bottom.
If you’re concerned about your puppy’s health or notice any of these signs, it’s a good idea to speak with your vet.
Worming your puppy
Worming your puppy is an important part of their preventative healthcare. Worming products are available in a range of forms, including tablets, chews, pastes, and spot-on treatments. Your vet can recommend a product that’s appropriate for your puppy’s age, weight, and individual needs.
Some parasite prevention products may help protect against more than one type of parasite, such as intestinal worms, fleas, or heartworm. Your vet can advise which option is most suitable for your puppy.
Regular worming is important because parasite prevention is an ongoing part of caring for your puppy. Following the recommended treatment schedule can help reduce their risk of parasite infections as they grow and explore the world around them.
Because worming is an ongoing part of puppy care, many owners find it helpful to set reminders for upcoming treatments.
Help protect your puppy from worms
While regular worming plays an important role in helping to protect your puppy from intestinal parasites, there are also some everyday habits that can help reduce their exposure:
- Pick up their faeces promptly, particularly in dog parks and other shared spaces.
- Wash your hands after cleaning up after your puppy, and before eating.
- Keep up with flea prevention, as fleas can spread tapeworm.
- Try to stop your puppy from scavenging food or rubbish.
- Keep bedding, toys, food bowls, living areas and floors clean, particularly in areas where your puppy eats, sleeps, and plays.
- Keep up with any recommended parasite prevention for other pets in the household.
- Stay up to date with routine vet checks and any recommended faecal testing.
While it’s not possible to eliminate every source of exposure, these simple habits can help reduce your puppy’s risk of picking up worms.
How pet insurance can support your puppy’s wellbeing
For most puppies, worming is simply another part of their regular healthcare routine. However, worms can sometimes lead to health problems that require vet treatment.
Routine parasite prevention is generally treated separately from insurance cover, but vet treatment for an eligible illness may be covered, depending on your policy, applicable exclusions, and other terms.
With RSPCA Pet Insurance, you can also customise your cover by choosing the annual cover limit, benefit percentage, excess, and optional extras that suit your puppy and budget. Plus, every policy also contributes to the RSPCA’s vital work across Australia. So, while you’re helping to protect your puppy, you’re also supporting animals in need nationwide.
To learn more about how RSPCA Pet Insurance could support you and your puppy, click here. Or, if you’re ready to take the next step, you can fetch a commitment-free pet insurance quote online.
Disclaimer
As with any insurance, terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement to make sure this cover suits your needs.
References
[1] Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). General Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Available from: https://capcvet.org/guidelines/general-guidelines/
[2] American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Intestinal parasites in cats and dogs. Available from: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/intestinal-parasites-cats-and-dogs
[3] University of Sydney, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Intestinal worms. Available from: https://www.sydney.edu.au/vet-hospital/general-practice/new-puppy-care/intestinal-worms.html
[4] University of Sydney, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Parasites. Available from: https://www.sydney.edu.au/vet-hospital/general-practice/preventative-health/parasites.html
[5] RSPCA Australia. How do I care for my new dog or puppy? Available from: https://www.rspca.org.au/latest-news/blog/how-do-i-care-my-new-dog-or-puppy/
[6] Vet Practice Magazine. Australian-first study on canine intestinal worms in dog parks reveals high contamination Australia-wide. Available from: https://www.vetpracticemag.com.au/australian-first-study-on-canine-intestinal-worms-in-dog-parks-reveals-high-contamination-australia-wide/
FAQs
In Australia, worming often starts when puppies are very young and is repeated regularly throughout the first few months of life. The exact schedule can vary depending on your puppy’s age, the product being used, and their individual risk factors, so it’s best to follow your vet’s advice and the product label.
They can. In fact, puppies can pick up roundworm before they’re even born or through their mother’s milk soon after birth. So, a spotless home doesn’t necessarily mean a worm-free puppy. That’s why keeping up with your puppy’s worming routine is an important part of their ongoing care, even if you maintain a clean home environment.
Some types of worms found in puppies, including roundworm and hookworm, can also infect people. Children can be particularly at risk because they’re more likely to have close contact with pets, soil, and outdoor play areas. Good hygiene practices can help reduce the risk of infection. Wash your hands after handling dog faeces, encourage kids to do the same after playing with pets, and keep your puppy’s worming routine up to date.
Pet insurance is typically designed to help with unexpected vet costs if your pet becomes sick or injured, rather than everyday preventative care like routine worming. If your puppy develops an illness associated with a parasite infection, eligible vet costs may be covered under illness cover, subject to your policy’s terms, conditions, waiting periods, and exclusions.
With RSPCA Pet Insurance, you can also customise your cover by choosing the annual cover limit, benefit percentage, excess, and optional extras that suit your pet and budget. Every policy also contributes to vital RSPCA animal welfare initiatives. So, while you’re protecting your own pet, you’re also making a difference for animals in need across Australia.
To learn more, visit the RSPCA Pet Insurance website or click here for a quick, commitment-free quote.
As with any insurance, terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement to make sure this cover suits your needs.
