Your new, little puppy scampers playfully at your feet. He romps around in the grass giving you insurmountable joy. He is becoming an important part in your family’s life. To keep your puppy happy, healthy and disease-free you will need to give him the appropriate veterinarian health care.

When a puppy is first born he is protected by his mom’s antibodies from her blood and initial milk supply, known as colostrum. The first stage of your puppy’s maternal antibody protection is approximately 2 days. This window of protection will only include those viruses that the mother is protected against and works according to the level of antibodies in the pup’s bloodstream. There may still be a risk for infection if levels are not strong enough at that particular time. There is no rhyme or reason as to how high or low the levels may be even in different puppies of the same litter.

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Just as with people, man’s best friend can suffer from a variety of sicknesses. It is important to be able to recognize when your dog is sick and the symptoms that may be indicating a typical canine sickness. One common form of aliment that many dogs suffer from is worms. While numerous pet owners take measures to prevent worms in their four legged friends, some find that their pets develop the sickness regardless of their efforts. Dealing with tapeworms in dogs is one common issue that should not go unnoticed.

Tapeworms are flat and segmented worms with a head that has suctions. The worms uses its suction power to attach itself to the animal’s intestine. The worm then feeds off of the nutrients that the dog receives.

Tapeworms are most often noticed in the animal’s feces or near the anus of the animal. An adult tapeworm can grow to be over 20 inches long. However, the segments that come from the worm that are seen usually look like grains of rice. Before drying out, you may see the segments wiggle and move.

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