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Losing a loved companion can be one of the hardest things you will go through short of losing a human family member. It needs to be acknowledged and grieved in whatever way helps you deal with the intense emotions that linger after they have gone. My father passed earlier this year at the ripe old age of 89. He had suffered with Parkinson's for the past 10 years, and in all reality, his passing was a blessing and a relief knowing that he wasn't suffering or losing any more dignity. I have actually dealt with his passing much better than when my heart dog passed in 2004. I actually still feel the intense loss of that dog in a way that many people cannot understand, and still cry about her not being here to this day. I'm actually crying about her as I type this. All that said, we also need to remember that we aren't the only people affected by the passing of our furry mates. For many of us, our pets haven't just passed peacefully in their sleep, they have been helped by an amazing team of caring people at the vet clinic. While we may be going through one of our own most traumatic events, they may have had to help a number of ailing pets go for their final sleep that very same day. Think of the toll that is taking on those caring and compassionate people who have been so supportive of you through your experience, regardless how hard it hits them each time they have to do it. When I did my Cert IV in Vet Nursing, we actually had to do an assignment on grief at losing a pet, but it was solely focused on owner grief, and did not even recognise staff grief or compassion overload when dealing with such emotive procedures multiple times in any given day. Our teacher for that subject actually did try to address that aspect in class, but she broke down and had to leave the room to recompose herself for about 30 minutes... just think if this is how someone who hasn't practised in a clinic setting for years still feels about that, what effect do you think it's having on those still in the field? Luckily, in the clinic I was at, the staff were VERY supportive of each other in these matters, which made it less stressful at the time, but the truth is that I'm still scarred by my experiences. I've had massive tattooed biker dudes collapse sobbing into my arms after their furry mates have passed, and various other levels of emotional collapse from many other owners. In some ways, the owner grief is actually harder to deal with then the peaceful passing of a pet, as we understand why that pet has to pass, but still death is not an easy thing to deal with for most people no matter how far "removed" from the core feelings one thinks a person may be. All I can say is hug your vet and the nurses that look after your pets. Let them know that you truly appreciate everything they are trying to do for your pet and you. It may literally be the one thing that stops them walking away from the profession... or worse. T.

Back in the days I was with NSWAR, we had a litter come to us with massive worm burden... roundworm AND hookworm. We had to worm them, there was no question about that, but they all died as the hookworms literally dug their way out through their stomachs. It was probably the most horrific thing I'd ever seen at the time. Ever since, I've been VERY stringent with the 2,4,6,8 worming schedule for any litter that comes into my care - and mums that come to me with babies also get done monthly until the pups have left her. Not long ago, we had a mum and 2 bubs come to us from RSPCA - the pups had been born in their care, and were a month old when we got them. Mum dog had a roundworm burden, which had actually been noted by RSPCA 2 weeks prior in a vet checkup there, but there were no notes on it ever being treated. I dosed her and the pups immediately and that fixed the problem. Don't know why they weren't treated at RSPCA, as they'd C5 vaccinated mum AND the 4 week old pups before giving them to us, so why not worming as well? Who vaccinates 4 week old pups by the way? T.

'Ringworm' is also something I see confused with intestinal worms. Same answer. Go to vet. Tapeworm ... fleas +\- cats = tapeworm and I'm not sure that's regional. Maybe Hydatid is though. Given they were talking about an 8wk old I'd think intestinal worms are the concern and frankly at that age they should be a concern. I don't want to tippytoe around as the OP is long gone so I'll just say it. It's an enormous drag on their little body and one of the main healthcare issues in youngsters with no worming history. From experience, most BYB or 'oops' home litters don't do the 2, 4, 6, 8 worming still advised. Seeing a pup dealing with heavy worm burden anaemia or passing away frightened and in pain is 100% worth telling a concerned owner to take their puppy to the vet, regardless of the HW factor which they can discuss in the consult. I don't thing that telling them to go to the vet is anything that really needs nitpicking over. As receipt, yes, I saw a litter of four Mini Foxies pass away on old fashioned, mild, recommended, Canex Puppy - which wasn't even an allwormer. Just roundworm and hookworm. 3 decades ago now, but I saw them die and will forever have that burned in my memory as we put them in the black bag. Anyone reading this on Google, G O TO Y O U R V E T forums aren't the answer.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-03/lewis-hamilton-how-to-cope-with-the-euthanasing-pet/105842858

Great story, thanks.

The OP didn't appear to be asking about intestinal parasites specifically, but about anything the general public called "worms".

Heartworm is not an intestinal parasite

I'd probably get the x-ray done, but make it clear that depending on the result, you are wanting to take a conservative approach with any treatment, as you have noticed an improvement with rest. Have they given you any pain relief for her in the meantime? If so, that may be working to mask some symptoms. Better to know what you may be dealing with if her cruciate has become unstable, or she's got arthritis. An unstable cruciate can be managed with rest and pain relief whenever it flares up, just like arthritis - surgery should only be considered if the cruciate is fully ruptured and unlikely to heal on it's own. T.

2 minded about this. one says this is stupid since before undergoing protection training, the dog would need to master obedience and a well trained dog is always safer. on the other hand, i think it is about time we stopped treating dogs as weapons. protection or guard training is exactly that. we are the top of the food chain, we should be protecting our dogs, not the other way around.

Yoli, 6 yr old ESS, has been limping and not putting weight on her L hind leg. She stops limping on walks. After a week of hoping it would go away, I took her to the vet, who said her knee was quite swollen, probably cruciate ligament, possibly arthritis, and booked her for X-rays in a few days time with a recommendation to curtail exercise. Much to my surprise, she has been happy staying in the car while my other dog went for his walk. And after a day of rest she's putting more weight on her foot. QUESTION: Is it worth postponing the X-rays for a week or so to see if rest alone, without surgery, will resolve the problem? (My regular vet practice was recently bought by a syndicate, and I'm not sure I can trust them to start with the most conservative treatment option).

Not entirely. No heartworm in NZ. No heartworm in winter in snowy latitudes. Tapeworm is more common in tropical regions (I think.... unsure).

It's really heartbreaking to read your message, I understand your hesitation. I've already been through this with my dog and in the end I followed his comfort on a daily basis as the only benchmark. As long as he ate a little and still found pleasure, I continued, but as soon as the suffering took over I made the difficult decision.

Worms are worms. They've just been advised to go to the vet anyway - armed with a bit of extra info - so the only thing I'd be concerned with is that I think Drontal is an Aus brand and might not be overseas. And that the vaccines might have different names. Anyone can use the 'overseas' location on their profile though as added privacy.

Doing what her ancestors were bred for ......but with an Oops ! Glad she was rescued safely - what an effort!!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-30/dachshund-stuck-in-rabbit-hole-in-yulara-nt-saved-by-locals/105829968

The location of this poster is overseeas. Is more information needed before giving advice?

In my experience after raising literally hundreds of rescue puppies over the years, I've only had one puppy die on me after being treated for worms. That most likely happened because he was already quite sick from the massive worm burden he had, and his little body just couldn't cope with the treatment, but if left untreated, the worm burden would have killed him anyways. It was worth trying to treat him in any case, and his 2 siblings who also had heavy worm burdens both survived the same treatment and lived long happy lives. I'm with @_PL_in recommending the Drontal puppy liquid for small puppies, as it is gentler on the stomach than the tablet form. For older puppies (12 weeks to 6 months), I prefer Fenpral or Popantel branded allwormer tablets, as they are gentler on the stomach than Drontal tablets. Dogs over 6 months old seem to handle Drontal tablets much better than small puppies. I wouldn't treat pups under 12 weeks for heartworm, and it's not really required until they are at least 6 months old anyways. Some vets will want to start heartworm treatment at 12 weeks, but my advice is to do the monthly treatment for heartworm until your dog is at least 12 months old, and then investigate whether the annual heartworm vaccination is better for your lifestyle, OK? Another thing to be mindful of is vaccinations and worming should not really be done on the same day in pups under 12 weeks old. I usually worm them the day before or after they get their vaccination. Vets will usually tell you it makes no difference, but my experience has proven that my foster pups are less likely to have adverse effects from either treatment if done separately, and if there are side effects, you will know which treatment caused it. As for vaccinations, I usually only give small pups (under 12 weeks) a C3 vaccine, and over 12 weeks are usually fine to get the C5 that vets prefer to give. As you really shouldn't be taking your pup out and about much before their vaccine schedule has been completed, the chances of them contracting Kennel Cough (C5 vaccine adds 2 strains of KC resistance on top of the C3 component) is low. Puppies MUST have at least 3 doses of the C3 vaccine within their first 16 weeks to ensure immunity from the most deadly 3 diseases dogs can get, OK? T.

There's a worming schedule but if you don't have a record of her baby wormers from her breeder it's best to call the vets for advice or take her in to see if she's 'wormy'. You can always take in a poo sample along as well. If it makes you feel better, have them weigh and worm her there. Do it in the morning though. In the very slim chance something goes sideways you can get her in asap. I like the Drontal liquid for puppies. If you've heard that a heavy worm burden can kill if you try to treat it, that's true but not as common as the internet will tell you.

Worth discussing this with you vet or a local dog expert. It's complicated. There are several species of worms that can infect dogs. Some species are more common in some regions than others. Puppies typically get roundworms, but older dogs are much less likely to suffer from them All worms don't respond to the same medications, though some allworm tablets contain more than one medication and kill most of not all common species, except heartworm, which requires yet a different medication. Opinions differ on how often to medicate, but yes you should worm your dog, especially if you see worms in its feces. And if heartworm is found in your region you should definitely use some sort of heartworm medication.

Hello, I have a question. I adopted a two-month-old Maltese and shih tzu dog. Should I give her a dose of worms or not? I am very afraid that I will not give her the worms and something bad will happen to her, or that I will give her the worms and something will happen to her. I want your experiences.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-29/canine-ehrlichiosis-endemic-spreads-across-northern-australia/105814976

Yeah nah mate no issues there - there've been more changes here check it out

think you need to join to access the SBS Iview or hit the links offered to access via facebook, apple or google is this what came up? sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/1985674819565

many panic these days and they have absolutely no idea how to behave when presented with a loose dog new neighbour came to say hello with two daughters, my chihuahua ran up to say hi and the the children were so afraid they tried to climb their mother. mum? screaming in fright set off any dog behaving like that, more so dogs bred to guard, disaster looking for a good spot. my chi was so confused by their screaming ran to me for comfort