Are you aware of common issues surrounding lab retriever and parasites ? Intestinal parasites affect all breeds of dogs. Your Lab is not immune to them and actually, it is very common for your Lab to become infected with a common intestinal parasite at some point in their lives. Hookworms in dogs and other worms in dogs are a pretty normal way of life. After all they are dogs, not humans.
Not to worry, for the most part these parasites will not cause long term problems and if caught early will not be more than a nuisance for you and your Retriever. However, if left untreated the infected animal could become ill and develop even life threatening complications. Adult dogs are better able to handle different types of worms in their intestinal tract than puppies are, but both should be treated early.
When puppies are with their litter mates they are more likely to catch two of the most common parasites called Giardia or Coccidia. These parasites are single-celled organisms that live in your Lab’s intestine. Giardia is also known as the traveler’s diarrhea that is found in countries like Mexico if you drink unsanitary water. Humans and Labradors can both get this parasite and transfer it back and forth to each other. While your Lab Retriever is with their litter the most common way to infect dogs is by pooping, stepping in it and then licking their paws or playing in the water bowl and drinking their water. Believe me, no matter how hard you try to keep a litter of 8 Purebred Lab Puppies out of their poop, simply blink and one will have pooped for the others to play in! As well, trying to keep the puppies out of playing in their water bowls is impossible–Labrador Retrievers Love Water! The risk for contracting these parasites is normally higher while they are with their litter mates.
Symptoms of Giardia can be Diarrhea, Not Playful, Not Eating or Weight Loss.
Coccidia are also one-celled organisms which live in the intestine and can cause infection. Unlike Giardia, Coccidia isn’t easily transmitted to humans. Some of the most common causes are dogs eating contaminated soil (from where dogs relieve themselves) or eating contaminated feces. When puppies are in their litter the most common way is for the mother to contract coccidia as mentioned and then lick her feet and then her puppies.
Symptoms of Coccidia are similar to those of Giardia and can be your puppy Losing Weight, Lethargy, Bloody or loose or watery stool.
Knowing of these common parasites in dogs and how our Lab Retriever Puppies are so curios and playful we have adopted a preventative approach toward treating your puppy in the event they may contract one of these parasites. This protocol begins when the puppy is 2 weeks of age.
⦁ Week 2 Strongid (dewormer) and Toltrazuril (coccidia preventative)
⦁ Week 4 Safeguard (dewormer and for Giardia)
⦁ Week 5 Toltrazuril (coccidia preventative)
⦁ Week 8 Safeguard and Toltrazuril (just before going home)
We have found that this protocol is most effective in keeping your puppy free of intestinal worms and intestinal parasites. It is still possible however that your puppy contract giardia or coccidia and be of a strain that is not killed by these specific medicines. Since it is not best practice to over medicate these little guys we won’t treat more aggressively if we don’t see evidence of a parasite (loose stool). This medication protocol is preventative. It is possible for your puppy to still contract one of these parasites while with their litter. If you get them home and find loose stool don’t panic.
Your first visit to the vet should include a stool sample to be tested. Simply pick up some poop and put it into a zip lock sandwich bag. Take this with you when you attend your first vet visit and present it to them for testing. Normally about a tablespoon is enough. This way you can be sure your pup can start their journey at their new home free of parasites.
If a fecal sample comes back positive for Giardia treatment could include Safe Guard (Panacure) Metronidazole or Fenbendazole or a combination. It’s important that you bath your Lab, wash any bedding and clean the water bowl and provide fresh water throughout the day to help prevent reinfection.
If your Lab Retriever tests positive for coccidia, Toltrazuril or a Sulpha-based drug is normally prescribed. As for Giardia, wash your dog and their bedding so that risk of reinfection is minimized. Water bowls should be cleaned throughout the day and consider changing the spot where your dog relieves itself. Returning to the same area will likely result in reinfection if the stool is not cleaned quickly after eliminating.
Regular stool samples throughout your dog’s life are important to catching any parasitic or worm infestation. If you are between vet visits here are the simplified levels of concern of increasing severity:
1. Lab activity is normal but the dog’s stool is loose, watery, or bloody
2. Lab activity is not normal and your dog stops being playful
3. Lab stops eating
4. Lab stops drinking (immediate Vet attention is required)
Once your Lab Retriever Puppy finishes their round of medication a follow up stool sample should be given. There could be roundworm eggs or eggs of another type that if not killed could hatch and reinfect the puppy. It is also important that if there are other dogs in the home they be treated as well in order not to pass on the infection to each other.
As always, our advice comes from our heart as experienced breeders and is in no way to be used in place of seeking advice from your Veterinarian. If you suspect your Lab Puppy could have a worm or parasitic infection in your dog’s intestines seek professional medical advice straight away. Purebred Lab Retrievers are no more immune to parasites than mixed Lab Retrievers. As well, there has been no over the counter medicine or remedy, homeopathic or otherwise, that we have found to be effective for treatment of this.
If you have small children be sure to teach them not to play with an infected dog and put their hands in their mouth or rub their eyes. A proper hand washing protocol should be in place and is a good habit for them go get in to as children. This will not only help prevent passing of certain worms from infected dogs to them it will help reduce colds, flu and other infection.
