Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My 8-week-old puppy is sick. Could it be parasites or worms?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 25 days old | 2 lbs

Hi. We just brought our new puppy home yesterday. A pup in his liter tested positive for a parasite. He is very sleepy, not eating or drinking and just threw up. He is 8 weeks old today.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on March 15th, 2020

Congrats on your new addition. Intestinal parasites (worms) are common in puppies. They can get them from other pups, the environment or even directly from mom. Since he is new to you, have Archie physically examined by your veterinarian within 72 hours of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre-existing conditions. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. He may need to be dewormed now and in 2 weeks. A third deworming in 4 weeks may completely clear any infection. Once he is feeling better, he can begin or resume his vaccinations.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 28th, 2019

    Without the full history and diagnosis from your vet it is impossible for us to guess what they gave him but you should contact your vets office and inform them of his good progress and they can help as to whether he must complete a full course or if he is ok. Temporary diarrhoea is very common in new pups moving house but certain medicatons such as antibiotics if given should be completed as prescried. Vaccinations depend very much on the risk factors in your area so your local vets office would best placed to advise - most puppies require a course of 2-3vaccines coverning the diseases present in your area to reduce the risk of them contracting certain serious illnesses.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on April 29th, 2019

    I would keep the appointment but let the vet know what's going on before they give the vaccinations. It may be that his diarrhea is just a passing symptom and not a big deal, especially if he's acting normally otherwise. If he isn't improving, getting him seen and the reason for the diarrhea checked out is a good idea.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How would I know if my puppy has worms? Are there any signs I should be looking for?
Most puppies get worms from their mother through both the placenta and milk. Signs that a puppy has worms including distended abdomen, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and possibly pale mucous membranes. Puppies are typically dewormed at 2, 4, 6, 8, weeks of age with a broad spectrum dewormer, like pyrantel pamoate, and a stool sample should also be tested for parasites.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My puppy has fleas and ticks. I found a long thin worm in his poop. I just found an inflamed-pus-leaking mass on his armpit. He also looks really sad (maybe lethargic). He has thrown up 3 times since i got him 1 &1/2 weeks ago. He has a vet appointme
It sounds like your puppy is quite sick with worms and ectoparasites. This alone can make it sad, thin and ill, and can even kill it if not treated. Your vet will advise you on flea control (ask about it!) and will deworm your puppy. Apparently the breeder did not do a good job raising this puppy.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I got an "8 week old" yorkie puppy as a present on the 8th and on the 11ths he woke up with diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and lazy. Ive been givung him DURMO and Epilac ever since, but he still the same. He is the worst in the morning but la
An 8 week old puppy likely does not have all of their vaccines yet, or they were not effective due to his age (especially if he was still nursing his mother, who provides antibodies). Since this has been ongoing, I would be concerned that there is an underlying illness causing his symptoms, and he should be examined by a vet immediately to rule out more serious problems such as parvo or other illnesses. Your vet can also run a fecal exam or any other tests to help rule out more common issues such as parasites, etc that could be causing these symptoms.
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
Have small puppy 8 weeks old sick this morning with bit of white foam. Wont eat or drink anything. He was wormed last week and has had loads of worms in poop and also vomited some up few days ago
Hi there! Sorry to hear that Teddy is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. Knowing that you have seen the worms makes this possibly the reason or a factor contributing to his symptoms. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Teddy evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start him on anti-nausea medications. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your boy!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my puupy i just got wass taken from mothere way to early and given cow milk he wont eat i have tryed goats milk and ihave tryed wet food dry food he throws up his water and diarreah please help who ever had him didnt do well
Have him examined by a veterinarian. Young pups can quickly develop dehydration which can complicate the underlying condition. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. If he is younger than 4-5 weeks, try an appropriate puppy milk replacer such as Esbilac or PetLac. If he's older, a dry puppy food soaked in warm water or puppy milk replacer can be offered. By 8-10 weeks of age, he should be eating dry food.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My newborn puppy is 5 days old. Can they have worms at an early stage? I have a picture of his stool. Please let me know if we may share the photo. It’s my first time nursing an orphaned puppy.
Yes, puppies can become infected with intestinal parasites 'in utero' (before being born), through nursing or from their environment. You can submit the stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. Begin a deworming protocol when the pup is two weeks old.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 8wk old puppy, He was dewormer about 5 days ago. He has had watery diarrhea since day one. Didn't eat but cranked for the first three days. I call vet they said to give him boiled chicken and rice. He started to eat On day three. It's day 5
These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs and fecal analysis) may be needed. 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
I dewormed my litter of puppies after one of them passed just very near recently she had worms. Well one of them is starting to show the same problems as the one who passed. After deworming she's vomiting diarrhea weight loss and loss of appetite.
Hi,t hanks for using Boop by Petco! Dewowmers have the potential to cause an upset stomach such as vomit, diarrhea and decreased appetite. Though I am worried something else is going on since you lost a puppy recently. I worry most about parvo virus in puppies this age, especially if they are yet to be vaccinated. I would have this puppy seen today by your Vet and tested for parvo virus as it is VERY contagious and if it is the cause it will likely affect the entire litter. If it isn't parvo the Vet can at least get this puppy feeling better and prevent dehydration. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pup Tammie is weak and vomiting clear white liquid and foam. And has a worm on it. Knowing ge hasn't done any vaccination and deworming yet. Is it okay if I deworm him now?
It's not advised to give him deworming when he is vomiting, because it will likely just be vomited up. Worms can get in the stomach (not their usual place) and cause vomiting, but they don't tend to cause them to suddenly get weak. It's possible that some other infection (like parvo virus) is happening and the appearance of the worm was just a coincidence. Puppies that vomit a great deal can quickly become dehydrated, which will cause them to get weak. In order to keep Chopper from having life-threatening complications, it's best to take him to the vet for an evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. For now, only feed small amounts of bland food and make sure he has plenty of clean water. You can add rehydration salts to the water to help treat the dehydration. I hope that helps and Chopper gets better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

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

Book Now

Sponsored