Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Puppy weak, wobbly after horse dewormer for worms. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 8 lbs

Why is my puppy losing balance and looks so weak. We recently found out she had worms. So we gave her 1ml of horse dewormer.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 19th, 2018

It could be the horse dewormer you gave Silvi. Horse dewormers are not appropriate to give to puppies, and depending on the one you gave her, can contain ingredients that are toxic to puppies. You need to get her into a vet immediately for an exam and treatment, as if she is suffering from a toxicity, there is a potential it could be fatal without treatment. Bring in the horse dewormer as well so the vet can see what you have given her. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Good luck!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Horse dewormer is very concentrated and depending on the brand used, this could be a massive overdose for a puppy. The loss of balance and weakness could definitely be due to an overdose. Either way, I reccomend taking Silvi to a vet as soon as possible, because she may have life-threatening complications if not treated soon enough. I hope that helps and Silvi gets better soon.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
After giving my 4week old puppy a very small amount of worm med .not realizing it was horse wormer..well my poor puppy has been comatose for 3 days now every once in awhile he acts like he's gonna come out if it but I don't know he won't eat drink go
So sorry that your puppy is having this problem. Based on your description, it sounds like you may have given him a toxic dose. He needs to be examined by a vet to see if there is anything that can be done to help him. Please call your vet or take him to an emergency clinic.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 3 month old mix breed shihtzu was dewormed 15 hours ago and it seems that she is too weak now. She can't barely walk. After being dewormed, she only got a few dose of food (force feed). Please help me. It's my first time to have a puppy and it's m
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Maze. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian right away. This is a dramatic response to a dose of deworming medication. If she had a very large parasite load, the dewormer could make her ill as the worms die off. However, most puppies are not as sick as you have described. She could also have another disease that presented at the same time. Regardless, she needs veterinary care. I worry that her blood sugar has dropped low as she is not eating well. This can make a puppy weak and wobbly. I hoep this information helps and you get her feeling better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Can someone please help me. My 2 weeks old puppy moves like a turtle and I think she is pretty much weak compared to before. It might have happened because of her deworming just this afternoon. I have no vet clinic available right now because of ECQ
I can’t think of a way that this would be related to the most common broad spectrum dewormers that we use but it would help to know what kind exactly. She may have low blood sugar or an infection. It sounds like she was moving better before today, but if not some puppies have abnormal leg muscle formation and it might be something like this (swimmer puppy). If she hasn’t been eating well, if you’ve seen vomiting or if she seems disoriented you should rub some honey on her gums and see if you can find an emergency vet somewhere. Otherwise head to a vet in the morning.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Puppy threw up his dewormer a few minutes after it was administered. They are not eating, having a hard time keeping even water down, and diahrrea constantly, occasional small amounts of blood in stool. One threw up a (round?) worm earlier. Are medi
Poor pups. While a heavy parasite load can cause severe GI upset, and anemia which can cause a pup to become extremely lethargic, have bloody diarrhea, etc, I would also want to rule out underlying illnesses as a possibility. It would be best to bring them to a vet ASAP especially if they are lethargic or unable to keep any food or water down as puppies can quickly become very dehydrated. They may also need supportive care such as an IV or injected medications if they are very ill from the parasites or other causes. You can try continuing to offer water, or rubbing a little honey on their gums for energy until you can get to the vet, however due to the severity of symptoms it would be best to seek emergency care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I gave my 5 week shitzu puppies 5ml of worm protector 2x. I thought that was the correct dosage but it wasnt and now their throwing up and breathing differntly. What should i do
I would recommend that you take the puppies to the vet immediately for evaluation. This medication is pyrantel, and is incredibly safe for use in puppies, so it is unlikely that the symptoms you are seeing are related to the medication or a reaction to it. I would be concerned that they may have inhaled some of the medication or may have inhaled some vomit. Rarely, puppies with very large worm burdens will have issues in the days following deworming treatment as the worms die inside their intestines. After a thorough examination, the vet may recommend x-rays or bloodwork so they can determine the best course of treatment for the puppies.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I have 3 new puppies 7 or 8 weeks of age. Ive had them for 5 days now. About a week ago I was told they got wormed. 1 has noticeably wormy poop, and 2 are vomiting worms. Is this a side effect or should i rush them to the vet. They have high e
Hi there. If the worms are alive and moving, this means that the puppies need another round of dewormer - it's not uncommon for pups to need more than one round to get rid of all the parasites they may have. If they're acting normal, there's no need to rush them to an emergency vet, but I would recommend getting a dewormer from your regular veterinarian (or taking them in for an exam, if needed) tomorrow morning.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We have a 9 week old American bull dog that we got last Saturday and i took her to get her shots and heart worm medication and they gave her worm medication on Wednesday then the next day she is weak and won't really eat and keeps throwing up
Hi, I'm worried if Zoey is still weak and vomiting. Young pups don't have much in reserve so if they stop eating they can deteriorate very quickly. It could be related to the de worming medicine if she had a lot of worms that died quickly, or she may have an illness like parvo, giardia or coccdia. If she's not eaten today, take her to the emergency vet tonight. If she's eaten some and is still walking about, take her in the morning.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I just got a new puppy and she was fine but today she seems lethargic, no appetite, has thrown up a couple times and just had diarrhea with what looked like stringy worms. She also seems unsteady when walking. Is there something i can do until i can
I am pretty concerned for Princess. It might be that she is weak from her intestinal worms which can cause significant damage in her intestinal tract. She may also be haboring a virus like parvo or another type of parasite like Giardia or Coccidia (which are microscopic). You can try giving her some sugar mixed in water by mouth. If possible though I do recommend you take her to the ER vet, for testing and treatment. This is more urgent if she seems to be getting weaker or still will not eat her puppy food.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I am watching a 7 week old puppy. She has come from a place where she was mistreated n fed scraps. She is skinny was dewormed on Thursday n definitely had dead worms in her stool. She is vomiting Every time she eats . No diarrhea.
Severe parasite infestation is strongly suspected and an immediate check up would be required to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Another treatment (on prescription) against gastrointestinal parasites may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What can I find around the house to give a puppy that is dying of worms
You will not likely find any products around the house that will help a dog with worms. If Trouble is truly that sick that he is in danger of dying, he needs to be examined by a veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. If parasites are that severe, there is generally dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, intestinal damage and sometimes blood loss. These pets are VERY sick and require supportive care. Different worms respond to different medications. Also, some worms can be spread to humans. It is VERY important to know the parasite status of all pets. Here are a few helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/vomiting-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/roundworms-toxascaris-leonina-toxocara-canis/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/hookworm-infection-prevention-treatment-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/whipworms-trichuris-vulpis/ It would be very cruel to allow Trouble to die from a treatable condition. I recommend to have him examined quickly at an emergency animal hospital.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Prescription Dewormer for Dogs Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Horse Seizure Medication Prescription Dewormer for Cats Horse Gastrointestinal & Digestive Medication Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Heartworm Medicine for Dogs Pet Pharmacy Horse Antibiotics & Antifungal Medication Horse Prescriptions Elanco Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Sentry Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Iverhart Plus Prescription Dewormer for Dogs PetArmor Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine WormX Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine HomeoPet Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Iverhart Max Prescription Dewormer for Dogs Droncit Prescription Dewormer for Dogs Earth Animal Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Natural Remedies Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored