How Often Should You Deworm a Dog?

How Often Should You Deworm a Dog?

How long it takes to deworm a dog depends on a few factors, mainly the type of deworming product your use, the age of your dog and how it is administered. What is not under question is how vital is this process for your pet. Getting an infection from a parasite such as tapeworm, roundworm, heartworm or any other parasitic worms which are common in dogs. Even if the symptoms of these parasites are hidden, the health of your dog can be greatly compromised, not to mention how gross it is for all involved.

AnimalWised shares this information on what you need to know to about how often you should deworm a dog.This way you can know when you can socialize your dog again or, in the case of puppies, for the first time.

When to deworm a puppy

One of the most important factors in deworming your dog is the age of the pet. If you have your dog from being a puppy, it's important that it is dewormed before its first first vaccination. This means the puppy will be dewormed bewteen the first 21 - 30 days of its life. If you have a new puppy and aren't used to breeding and raising dogs, then you will need to speak to your vet about care. They will recommend the best course of deworming treatment, but it is likely they will need it in syrup form as they are still breastfeeding from their mother.

Before each vaccine the puppy must be free of parasites. This means you'll have to administer the drops or syrup about 7 days before their have their injection. After this initial deworming and vaccination, you should deworm them again at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks old. This is especially if they are in contact with other dogs which go outside. While you may think it is strange to deworm a dog which hasn't even been able to go outside to get a parasite, the reason is simple. Unfortunately, many puppies will be infected by worms through their mother. The parasites can travel into the unborn puppies as they feed in the womb.

After 12 weeks, your puppy should be dewormed again every month until they are 6 months old. After this time, it is up to you how often your dog should be dewormed. This is because it will depend on how you behave with your pet. If you live in the city, don't let it your dog interact with other animals and keep track of what they eat, you probably won't need to deworm them too often. For dogs which are allowed to roam more free in rural areas where they can eat anything, you will probably want to do it more often.

In general, after 6 months you should deworm your dog every 2 - 4 months. If you want to keep track of how often this needs done, you should start a deworming calendar. This can be on your smartphone's calendar or by making out a chart. You don't want to waste money by doing it too often or risk infection by doing it too little.

How often do you deworm an adult dog?

If you want to know more about deworming an adult dog, it's likely because you have acquired them for some reason. Maybe a friend is unable to take care of their dog and you take over their care. Perhaps you have decided you don't want the responsibility of rearing a puppy and have adopted an adult dog or you simply have fallen in love with a certain dog at the rescue shelter.

If you adopt a dog from a rescue, they should have all their vaccinations and be in a good bill of health. However, if you have rescued a dog yourself or have come across them from some other means, you will need to make sure they are healthy. You will do this by taking them to a vet. If there are no other health concerns, they will need need to be dewormed and vaccinated.

As with dogs from 6 months old, this will depend on your dog's lifestyle. If they live out in the fields, then they should be dewormed internally every 2 months or so. This may just mean adding it to their food. City dogs will likely need less.

Different types of dewormers

Parasites and worms are such pests, particularly as they can attack the dog both internally and externally. This is why it is important to know how much to deworm your dog.

Your dog can become infected by parasitic worms for many reasons. These include sniffing dirt outside, eating rotten food or even through the breast milk of their mother. This results in different internal parasites, usually resulting in intestinal worms. This is why deworming every 2 to 4 months as you may not always be able to see the worms. This can come in antiparasitic tablets, drops or even medicinal syrup. Your best choice is the one recommended by your vet.

On the other hand, we all should know how easy it can be for dogs to pick up external parasites such as fleas or ticks when they play in the park or come in contact with other animals. There are several methods of application to get rid of these pests:

  • Pipettes: this is a liquid which is deposited on the back neck of your dog. They will last approximately one month, but it depends on the brand as well as the size of your dog. There are special pipettes you can buy for puppies also.
  • Collars: you can purchase special deworming dog collars which kill parasites by containing an active ingredient. Depending on the quality of the brand, these can last between two and eight months. After this time you will need to replace the collar.
  • Shampoos: with a medicated flea shampoo we can wash our dog as needed. They are not as effective as other methods as they kill external parasites, but once it is washed out, it will not protect in the future.
  • Spray: this is a booster dewormer and antiparastical solution as it only lasts a few days

Now that you know how often you should deworm your dog and what types of dewormers are out there, you can apply it to your pooch. Remember, however, prevention is better than cure. So keep them out of the trash and keep a close eye on them when they're out and about.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

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