Roundworm and Cold

Question
Hi,

I am a disabled person and on a very limited income so I can't keep going to the vet all of the time.  Today I got my pup most of his shots and will get ther rest soon.  His stool was tested and he has roundworms.  My question is can I just buy something at the pet supply store that will get rid of them and do I have to pay to have the vet to do it?

Also it gets very cold here in the winter in Michigan.  I have been taking my dog out to house train him and he has been doing really well.  My husband bought a tie out and attached it to the porch and a tree so I wouldn't have to go outside with the dog this winter so I wouldn't get cold.  My question is how long can I leave him out?  I usually leave him out about 15 minutes.  Is that too long in the cold winter?  How long should I leave him out to go pee?

Thank you in advance for your response.

Julie

Answer
Hi Julie.
Dogs should be treated for roundworm every two weeks until they are twelve weeks old with a puppy wormer and then every month until they are six months old.  The onyl wormers that are worth spending your money on are the ones you get from the vet as the best de-wormer drugs are prescription only and cannot be obtained over the counter.  You shouldnt need to pay for a consultation though, the vet should be able to prescribe them if you just go in and get them during surgery hours.  The de-wormers from the pet stores are pretty useless in all honesty.
As far as the cold goes I would strongly advise against leaving the puppy on a tie out as these can be dangerous, especially for such young puppies with delicate little necks, they also encourage aggressive guarding behaviour which is the last thing you want to be dealing with as a disabled person.   Five minutes is plenty long enough for him to go to the toilet.  If he hasnt gone in five minutes just take him back in the house and try again in half an hour.  Once he is older he should be able to contain himself long enough that he only needs to go to the toilet on his walks.
Hope this helps
Sarah