Can I safely cuddle my dog and let them on the bed after deworming?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So technically you can only get it if one of the tapeworm segments gets in your mouth and you swallow it... But just to play it safe, I'd say within 3 days she should stop shedding worms and segments and it should be safe to have her in bed. Also, make sure you're treating her for fleas because the tapeworms are often transmitted by fleas. (Treat any cats and dogs in the home simultaneously.) Best wishes to you and Zions!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unless she has feces on her hair and if she defecates when around other dogs, she will not pass on the worms just by playing with other dogs. However, you cannot say for sure whether or not she has microscopic eggs stuck to her fur or if she will defecate around the other dogs. I would play it safe and finish off the deworming medication and recheck the stool in 7 days (from starting the medication) before socializing her with any other dogs. If she defecates and you pick it up, there is no way to tell if you got every microscopic egg off the ground. If she does defecate outside, it is recommended to remove the top 8 inches of soil from the area to ensure you have removed all eggs. I would also recommend regularly cleaning her bedding so that she does not re-infect herself and that you are using a bleach solution (3 cups bleach to 1 cup water) to spray surfaces down. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, it is true that the pet stops shedding worms after about 7-10 days of getting rid of the worms themself, which can take up to 2 treatments (done 2 weeks apart). So you cannot expect a pet to immediately be non-infective, but you can safely say that after 3 weeks of the first treatment, followed by a second treatment done 2 weeks later, that the pet is no longer shedding eggs. Also keep in mind that heartworm prevention (i.e. Heargard, Trifexis, etc) has natural dewormer in it, so your pet can get monthly intestinal worm treatment as well, further reducing any inadvertent spread of worm eggs.

There are certain worms that can be transmitted from dogs to people, but it's not easy. However, there is a particular concern with kids getting Toxocariasis. If the worms were diagnosed by a veterinarian, then she should be able to find out the species of worms that were discovered and let you know if they are a concern. Below is a link to some good information about the risk of transmission of the common worm for puppies to have. cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/gen_info/faqs.html I hope that helps and all is well with everyone.

As long as he's been dewormed and you clean up after Peso you should be fine having him in a small area of the house. I would wash your children's hands after touching him also. Children get intestinal parasites when there is poor cleanliness. Continue with his routine deworming also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Peso.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Koga has roundworms. The eggs of intestinal parasites are shed in his poop not from his fur. You need to clean up the stools as soon as he goes to prevent contamination of the environment. Your son should be ok as long as he isn’t eating the poop. Just make sure to wash his hands after he plays with the puppy or before he eats. You will need to treat Koga twice (3 weeks apart) and the you should be all set. Good luck and kisses to Koga!

Just make sure that you wear gloves and/or wash your hands if you clean up any of your dogs feces. If your puppy has an accident in the house make sure you thoroughly clean the area. It might be a good idea to confine her to an area that is easy to clean until you know she is negative for parasites. Take a fecal sample to your vet after she is finished treatment to make sure she is negative for parasites