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My puppy still has worms after deworming and won't eat. Is it working?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 3 months and 3 days old | 4 lbs

My new puppy is 9 weeks. The person i got her from said he dewormed her although i can not be sure because this she pooped out 2 live worms. When she pooped them out she had trouble getting them to come out. Within a few hours of seeing the first roundworms we dewormed her. She has not eaten today. She is drinking water and acting normal otherwise. She has pooped out 3 more roundworms and they are alive but come right out and move very slow. Is the dewormer working and how do we get her to eat

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 4th, 2017

Remi will likely need a few more doses of dewormer over the next few months to clear her of worms. The dewormer only kills certain life stages of the worms, so it must be given at regular intervals to kill off the rest of the worms as they mature. It is likely working, but can take a while. Make sure that Remi is getting her medication with a meal, as sometimes having a full stomach before getting deworming medication can help to reduce stomach upset, and can also help make sure the medication is absorbed properly. In some cases if there are a lot of worms in the system, dogs will have a bit of vomiting or diarrhea after deworming medication, or have a decreased appetite, but if it persists or Remi is acting lethargic, see your vet to help rule out other potential causes. There is a concern about low blood sugar and dehydration in young puppies that aren’t eating, so if Remi does not feel like eating tonight I would have her seen. Try a small amount of boiled boneless skinless chicken and white rice to see if you can coax her to eat.

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It sounds like the dewormer is working. In the next week or so, It would be a good idea to have your vet test a fecal sample for parasites to make sure that she doesn't have additional parasites. Try to offer her the same food that she was eating before you got her. You could also add a little boiled chicken to her food to see if you can get her to eat.

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