Worms in French bulldogs are one of the most unpleasant occurrences for pet parents. Although they can’t lead to severe consequences, finding worms in your dog’s poop is quite a shocking experience. The good news is that worms are easy to treat. With the help of your vet, your furry friend will be able to get rid of them very quickly.
If you’ve just brought your furry friend home, scheduling a vet visit is the first thing you have to do. Your vet should check your puppy’s vaccination card, health history, and deworming records. The first check-up will reveal if your Frenchie’s hips and elbows are in good proportion and whether he/she has worms in the intestines. Make sure you ask your vet everything about your French bulldog’s diet, supplements, and care, and prepare any puppy-related questions you have.
What do you need to know about worms in French bulldogs?
There are 5 types of creepy crawlies that affect the intestines of domestic dogs: tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and heartworms. Every type of worm requires different therapy, so that’s why you shouldn’t buy medicines of your choice. Whipworms and tapeworms more often occur in young puppies. That’s why vets recommend not to take puppies outside for several weeks until they don’t become fully vaccinated.
How to know if my Frenchie has worms?
General signs of worms in your Frenchie will be:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Abdominal pain
- Pot-bellied appearance
- Intestinal blockage
- Bloody stool
- Anemia
Whipworms in French bulldogs
Whipworms are often difficult to discover because they don’t shed eggs all the time. The most common type of whipworm is Trichuris Vulpris and it’s always followed by runny stool. Since their eggs can live up to five years in our environment, you should be very careful when taking your pooch to public places.
Your dog can get them by sniffing, licking, and eating the infected object and item. When your Frenchie becomes infected with whipworms, it may take up to three months for the eggs to mature to adults and begin shedding eggs. Due to this reason, false-negative results are common. Therefore, you’ll need to repeat fecal exams once a month and check whether there is a blood sign in the stool. If whipworms are left untreated, they can lead to anemia, weight loss, and diarrhea. Fenbendazole is the most common medicine used in the treatment that usually lasts for 3 days. Since this type of worm is often difficult to get rid of, your vet will probably require to repeat fecal examination after 21 days and three months.
Tapeworms in French bulldogs
Dogs get tapeworms by eating infected fleas and eating meat with infested tapeworms. There are two types of these worms in French bulldogs: Taenia and Dipylidium. Both of them are easy to spot in a dog’s poop or on its coat because they release egg packets containing multiple eggs. Egg packets are otherwise called proglottids and they form during a period of 6-8 weeks after ingestion.
Tapeworms can survive in a dog between 7 to 34 months, and a common symptom is butt scooting behavior. In that way, your dog will try to release the worms from his anal bowel. When a Frenchie becomes infected with whipworms, their eggs hatch and begin to invade the walls of the intestines. If you notice worm eggs (looks like rice) in your Frenchie’s poop and if he starts to drag his bottom, then you should test him for tapeworms.
Dog owners who allow their dogs to spend time unleashed in their yards should daily check if there is a dead rabbit, rodent, or bird because their flesh often carries tapeworms. If your vet finds eggs or tapeworm segments, your dog will receive a treatment regimen to eliminate the tapeworms (orally or by injection).
Hookworms in French bulldogs
Hookworms represent the greatest threat for puppies in case they’re left untreated. This type of worm is very small but they spread quickly and ingest large amounts of blood. Your Frenchie can become infected by ingesting hookworm larvae from the environment or by drinking his mother’s milk. The treatment can last up to several months because infected pooches can pass hundreds of microscopic eggs in their stool. Unfortunately, humans can also become infected with these worms and the treatment consists of deworming medications administered twice. Once to catch the adult worms and then two-to-four weeks later to catch those that are newly developed.
Heartworms in French bulldogs
Heartworms are the most dangerous types of worms causing heart failure, lung disease, and even death. They are transmitted by mosquitoes, and since they are impossible to escape, vets recommend regular heartworm preventatives. When we talk about the treatment, it’s expensive, lengthy, and can end up with severe side effects. That’s why you’d better choose prevention.
Roundworms in French bulldogs
Roundworms are very common in dogs and they can be transmitted to humans. Many puppies are born with them by being infected by their mothers. To discover roundworms in your dog’s intestines, you have to give for testing his/her fecal sample. They are also easy to spot in the dog’s poop since they are 4 to 6 inches long, stout, and white. The treatment is relatively straightforward, however, prevention plays an important role as well. This type of worms in French bulldogs can be prevented by deworming puppies every 2 weeks up to 12 weeks of age. The eggs of roundworms can survive for years because they’re extremely resistant to common disinfectants, including alcohol and bleach. Kids’ sandy playgrounds can often be contaminated with roundworms, so their parents should take appropriate control measures.
