Regular deworming protects your four-legged friend from heavy worm infestations.
Worming Your Dog: Why Is It so Important?
Worms that can infect dogs are everywhere in everyday life. Even during a daily walk, your dog can come into contact with potential sources of infection. The most common include: infected dogs, other dogs’ faeces and rodents.
Worm infections often go completely unnoticed at first. Your dog may initially seem perfectly fine and show no signs of illness at all.
What Happens if You Don’t Worm a Dog?
This is exactly what makes a worm infestation so dangerous. The worm population grows day by day, gradually causing serious harm to your dog’s health. If the infestation goes unnoticed for a long time, it can eventually develop into a severe infection.
So why is it so important to worm your dog? With regular worming treatments, you can prevent your furry friend from ever developing a heavy infestation in the first place.
Risk of Infection for People and Animals
There’s more: a worm infestation doesn’t just pose a risk to the affected dog. People and other animals can also become infected through contact and may fall ill themselves. Children and people with weakened immune systems are considered particularly at risk.
How Can I Tell if My Dog Needs Worming?
At first, your dog will probably show no symptoms of a worm infestation. However, as the worms multiply inside the body, the infestation gradually becomes more severe. This is when clear symptoms begin to appear.
How Does a Dog Behave if It Has Worms?
The following signs of illness may indicate a worm infestation:
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Poor general condition
- Anaemia
- Blockage of the intestines or bile ducts (this can even be fatal!)
By the way, a worm infestation usually can’t be identified by visible worms in your dog’s faeces. Dogs generally excrete only eggs or larvae, which aren’t visible to the naked eye. Only in cases of a severe infestation are entire worms passed.
How Often Should You Worm a Dog?
To protect your dog from the possible consequences of a worm infestation, vets recommend having your dog’s faecal samples tested for worms at least four times a year.
Worming Treatments are Not Preventative
Alternatively, you can worm your dog routinely four times a year. Puppies, by the way, should receive their first worming treatment at just two weeks old. It’s best to ask your vet which worming intervals are recommended for your dog.
Important to know: a worming treatment does not work preventatively. In other words, it doesn’t stop a parasite infestation from happening. It is only given when a worm infestation has been confirmed diagnostically or when an infection is likely due to the circumstances.
What Increases the Risk of a Worm Infestation
Of course, not every dog has the same risk of becoming infected with worms. Your dog’s daily routine plays an important role here: Does your dog have free, unsupervised access outdoors? Do they have lots of contact with dogs from other households? Are they an active hunter who eats prey animals? Do they eat carrion and/or other dogs’ faeces? All of this increases the risk of a worm infestation.
How Does a Worming Treatment Work?
Worming treatments for dogs contain active ingredients that target all stages of a worm’s life cycle. Their aim is to prevent worms from maturing into egg-laying adults.
Some wormers are designed to kill only a specific type of worm. Others have a broad spectrum effect and tackle tapeworms and roundworms at the same time. Your vet will decide which type of worming treatment is appropriate in each individual case.
Administering the Treatment
If you want to worm your dog, you have several options. There are tablets, pastes and liquid wormers. These are given either directly into your dog’s mouth or mixed into their food. Some products require just a single dose, while others need to be given over several consecutive days.
For particularly stubborn dogs, there is also the so-called “spot-on” treatment. In this case, the worming product is applied to the skin between the shoulder blades. This method is also very reliable.
Who are Worming Treatments Suitable For?
The dosage depends on your dog’s body weight. Modern worming treatments are very well tolerated. They are suitable for dogs of all breeds and ages, and can even be used safely in pregnant and lactating bitches.
The cost, in turn, depends on the dosage and the level of veterinary fees. You can obtain worming treatments either directly from your vet or from a pharmacy (including online pharmacies).
Can I Worm My Dog Myself?
You can administer the worming treatment yourself. However, you should have your dog examined by a vet beforehand.
They can recommend a suitable product and advise you on the individual dosage and, if necessary, the intervals for repeat treatments. Your vet can also tell you when to give the wormer – for example, in the morning or evening.
Home Remedies: Can You Worm Dogs Naturally?
Anyone searching online for terms such as “natural worming treatment” or “worming without chemicals” will quickly come across home remedies like coconut oil, onions or garlic. However, vets strongly advise against such self-treatment attempts – the risk is too great that your dog could have an allergic reaction or even suffer life-threatening poisoning.
There’s no need to rely on home remedies anyway. Modern worming treatments work by specifically targeting the parasite’s structures and are therefore not harmful to dogs. Side effects are rare and usually take the form of temporary gastrointestinal upset. After a worm infestation has cleared, it can be helpful to support your dog’s digestion with suitable nutritional supplements.
Can a Dog Survive without Worming?
A severe worm infestation can be fatal, especially in puppies. In older dogs, worms can lead to a weakened immune system, which may result in further health problems. You shouldn’t take a worm infestation lightly – if you suspect your dog has worms, arrange a vet appointment promptly.
Conclusion: Worm Your Dog – Yes or No?
If your vet has diagnosed a worm infestation, you should definitely have your dog treated. Whether and how often routine worming is advisable for your dog is best discussed directly with your vet. They know your pet and your living situation and can advise you accordingly. For example, more frequent worming makes sense if your dog eats raw meat. A worming treatment may also be advisable after a holiday abroad.
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This article was translated using Artificial Intelligence from the original German zooplus Magazine. While the original content was authored by industry experts and reviewed by our editorial team, this automated translation has not been human-edited and is provided for informational purposes.
