What color are healthy puppy gums? What if my puppy has worms?

Just because you don't see worms doesn't mean they aren't there. In fact, hookworms are the worms that cause anemia (and subsequently white gums) and they are so tiny you cannot see them with the naked eye. There are other intestinal parasite, like coccidia, that are microscopic as well. I would recommend bringing a fecal sample to your vet to have it analyzed so you can make sure you are treating all the parasites the puppy may have. Also, keep in mind, most puppies need multiple dewormings to get all of the parasites. Giving her moist food is fine, it will also help hydrate her since she isn't drinking great. Good luck with the little guy.

The gums do look pale. Anemia in a puppy is usually caused by fleas or intestinal parasites. Please use a flea comb to remove any fleas. You can dip it in warm soapy dishwater to rinse it off and kill the fleas. I'm glad you are taking her in for an exam tomorrow. Please bring a fecal sample also so they can do a exam for parasites. If she's feeling good and playing she should be fine, I would not have her be too active, let her rest since they get tired and weak from anemia. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kota.

The white or pale gums are a sign of severe anemia. It could be due to a high worm burden or it may have another underlying cause. Vegeta should be seen by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. Given current circumstances, you may need to drop him off at the clinic then wait for your veterinarian to call you. Supportive care may be indicated until he is feeling better.

Those worms are tape worm proglottids. You would have to worm this puppy with a wormer like Drontal plus,however at 7 weeks it is very young to worm with praziquantel (the ingredient in Drontal plus that works against tape worm). The anemia is also likely from the flea infestation. I suggest you take your puppy to your vet for the worming and bring the photos wth the worms/proglottids with you to the vet. The vet will have to assess your puppy to verify that it can be wormed against tape worm. There are some other wormers that can be used, however. it is important to examine the puppy first since it is anemic.

Hello. Yes, these guns look normal. He has dark pigmentation which is normal for him, but you can see that he does not look anemic as a nice pinkness is still evident. If he is having difficulty eating dry puppy food, you can soak it in the milk replacer until you get an accurate age at your vet appointment.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's hard to see well in your picture but the color is lighter than normal. Sometimes if you stretch the lip up too tight it can look paler or whiter. If she is acting normal I am not sure I would read too much in to the color, especially f it more pink the rest of the day. If you are worried I would have her rechecked and ask the Vet to run a PCV/TS which measures her red blood cell count. Most dogs that are anemic are lethargic, weak, have a decreased appetite, and increased breathing. I wish you and MJ the best!

I realize that looking up possible causes of pale gums points you down some scary roads with different cancers, bone marrow conditions or bleeding issues. Some medications can adversely affect the bone marrow, but at 1 year of age, I doubt that Spock has received any of these medications. Typical flea/tick and heartworm preventatives would not be expected to cause any of these issues. If Spock's gums are consistently pink (even with some variation in shade of pink) and he is otherwise eating, drinking and acting normally, these types of issues are far less likely. Try to determine if his gums change color throughout the day. During times of excitement or stress, a dog's blood pressure can rise a bit and cause the gum color to be a darker pink than the normal baseline. Concurrently, during times of rest and extreme relaxation, the blood pressure is a bit lower and can cause the gums to be a slightly lighter pink. If Spock's gums are every very pale and he is lethargic, this is an emergency condition and would need to be addressed immediately. Otherwise, you can continue monitoring his gum color as your vet recommended, or ask if he can be examined now if you need the extra peace of mind. :-)