How often should a dog be dewormed?

Many pet owners don't know when to vaccinate their dogs after deworming. Deworming is one of the most important procedures that should be performed regularly, not just before vaccinations. It's performed two to four times a year to protect the health of not only the dog but also the rest of the family. So, in this article, we'll explain how often to deworm your dog.

Symptoms of parasitic infections

Before deworming your dog at home, you should be aware of the symptoms of infection. These depend on the type of parasite, the severity of the infection, the animal's age, and its overall health. The most common signs are:

• apathy:
• itching around the anus:
• flatulence;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea of ​​varying degrees;
• cough and shortness of breath;
• deterioration of the coat condition;
• skin pathologies;
• weight loss;
• poor development of newly born puppies;
• neurological symptoms;
• reduced immunity.

Sometimes owners notice the presence of parasites or their fragments in the feces, but if such traces are absent, this does not mean that worms the dog doesn't have it.

Many people wonder why dogs need to be dewormed before vaccination. This is necessary to ensure the proper development of a protective response to the disease being vaccinated. If the immune system is weakened, a direct consequence of helminth infestation, the vaccine will lead to infection with the very virus being vaccinated against.

Antihelminthic drugs

Drugs are tablets, pastes, gels or any other form of any medication that is produced in commercial pharmaceutical companies that give them a specific trade name (Cestal Plus, Pratel, Drontal Junior, Dolpac, Milbemax). Each of them contains at least one substance (for example, Panacur contains an active ingredient called fenbendazole).

Most antiparasitic medications contain up to three active ingredients—these are complex medications (for example, Cestal Plus, which consists of the active ingredients pyrantel, fenbendazole, and praziquantel). Each has a different spectrum of action and affects different types of parasites.

After all, before deworming a dog for vaccination, a stool sample isn't always performed, making it difficult to determine what type of parasite is present. Therefore, it's necessary to administer a medication that kills all types of worms. Instead of using three different medications, a single, broad-spectrum medication is often administered.

Protection against parasites

Before properly deworming your dog before vaccination, it's also necessary to protect it from ticks, which act as intermediate carriers of worms. Various forms of these medications are available at veterinary pharmacies:

1. Spot-ons (Advantix, Fiprex 75, etc.) are typically packaged in a dropper containing a dose of medication calculated for the animal's specific weight. During application, the entire contents of the dropper are used, spreading it over the animal's back. Avoid bathing the dog for two days before and two days after application. One treatment protects the pet from ticks for four weeks and fleas for up to eight weeks. Advocate also protects dogs from internal parasites, such as hookworms and grain mites.
2. Sprays (Fiprex, Sabunol) are packaged in containers with a pump and dispenser. They are applied to pets' fur by spraying. The dosage depends on the dog's weight and is adjusted by pressing the dispenser. These products are typically effective for four weeks against ticks and eight weeks against fleas.
3. Collars (ForestoKiltix) are removed from the sealed package and attached to the dog's neck so that the surface has maximum contact with the skin. They are effective for eight months, providing active protection against fleas and ticks, which carry many worms.
4. Chewable tablets (eg, Bravecto And NexGard) look and smell delicious and are readily consumed by dogs. They provide protection against fleas and ticks for 12 weeks.

A few words about the dosage of antihelminthic drugs

When asked whether it's necessary to deworm a dog before vaccination, the answer is yes, but the required dosage must be observed. "Dose" refers to the number of milligrams of a substance per kilogram of the animal's body weight. For example, the dose of Praziquantel for a dog is 5 mg per kilogram, so a 10-kilogram animal would require 50 mg of Praziquantel. Manufacturers provide full information on the dosage to administer to a dog in the package insert.

Most of the active ingredients anthelmintic drugs They have a fairly significant safety margin, meaning that overdosing should not cause side effects. Therefore, manufacturers often recommend rounding up the milligram amount to the nearest full volume (e.g., a tablet, half a tablet). Excessive dosages can cause diarrhea in dogs after deworming. Therefore, dosage should be carefully monitored, following the recommendations in the medication's package insert.

First deworming

For first deworming You need to choose a gentle product, meaning one with a simple formula (usually a single-component one). This will both reduce the burden on your pet's body and provide an effective treatment for internal parasites that the puppy could contract from its mother. A strong, complex product that kills all worms should not be used for the first deworming.

Most worms reside in the duodenum, a relatively short section of the small intestine. There can be up to several hundred worms present. Destroying them all at once would result in the dead bodies completely blocking the intestine, leading to undesirable consequences.

Furthermore, severe poisoning from the breakdown of these organisms can occur. Therefore, it's best to choose a medication administered in small doses for several days in a row. This kills the worms slowly but surely. Veterinarians have found that this method is quite safe for first-time deworming, with mild and minor side effects, often nonexistent.

Deworming of bitches

Veterinarians receive many questions about whether it's possible to deworm a dog during heat and whether it's possible to deworm a pregnant dog. There are no contraindications to deworming female dogs during heat. They undergo the same procedure as male dogs of their age and weight.

Female dogs reach maturity between 6 and 12 months of age, and later in some large breeds. Pregnancy is possible after the first heat cycle, but it is recommended to breed a dog only after the third cycle. A veterinarian confirms this period through palpation, testing, and ultrasound.

Vaccinations should be administered before pregnancy, as this ensures high levels of antibodies that the mother will pass on to her puppies during lactation. For deworming, use a medication suitable for pregnant females. One such medication is fenbendazole, which is effective against roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and tapeworms. A combination of pyrantel and praziquantel can also be used.

The dosage regimen depends on the chosen product. Carefully follow the instructions, and it's best to consult a veterinarian if in doubt. Deworming during pregnancy will help prevent the transmission of worms to puppies, and should be performed according to your veterinarian's recommendations.

Why should the first deworming treatments be done every 2 weeks?

Because two weeks is the time it takes for the larvae of roundworms—the main parasite that inhabits the digestive tract of puppies—to complete their maturation cycle. Often, most deworming medications are ineffective or only work poorly against the larval roundworms; these medications only kill adult worms. The remaining parasites are given two weeks to mature and be killed by the next round of deworming medication. Below, we'll discuss how often to deworm a dog.

How often should I deworm my dog?

Many people wonder how often to deworm their dogs. The first deworming should be performed on puppies between 2 and 4 weeks of age, and subsequent treatments depend on the vaccination schedule. Dog owners also want to know how long before vaccinations they should deworm their dogs. This should be done seven days before the vaccine is administered.

This means that vaccinations are typically administered at 6, 9, and 12 weeks of age, followed by deworming at 5, 8, and 11 weeks. Subsequently, dogs are typically dewormed monthly before vaccinations until they reach six months of age. Adult animals are treated with deworming medications every three to six months, and external parasite treatments are administered throughout the period of tick and flea activity.

Veterinarians are increasingly advising against blind deworming of dogs, replacing this procedure with periodic worm testing. This helps avoid unnecessary medication use and select the best anti-parasite medication at the optimal dosage. If deworming is ineffective, this can be easily identified through laboratory testing, allowing for appropriate medication adjustments.

It is also necessary to deworm all animals in the house or apartment to avoid the transmission of worms from one dog to another.

You can also ask our website's staff veterinarian a question, who will answer them as quickly as possible in the comments box below.

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