Common Questions About Deworming Dogs

1 Overview

Pets are our most loyal friends, but parasite infection is common – it hinders puppy growth and lets other pathogens in, causing various health problems. Worse, some dog tapeworms and roundworms can infect owners: a child petting a dog, head-to-head contact or kissing, bare feet, can all pass parasites to people. Timely deworming is essential.

Parasites are generally split into intestinal parasites and blood parasites (heartworm, coccidia, toxoplasma – these need specific drugs). Usually deworming means intestinal parasites: roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, pinworm, whipworm. A wormy dog grows thin and gets diarrhea; you may see worms in stool, and microscopy shows eggs, or worms in vomit. Infected dogs waste away with vomiting, constipation, diarrhea and malnutrition. Some parasites also cause fever, cough, itchy skin and dull coat. When these appear, deworm promptly.

Internal deworming methods:

1. Generally, a puppy should be dewormed first at one month old.

2. Before 3 months, deworm every 2 weeks.

3. From 3 months to 1 year, deworm every month.

4. Adults over 1 year, deworm every 3-4 months.

5. A breeding female: once a month before mating, before and after birth.

6. Clear feces promptly to stop the dog re-eating eggs.

How to stay free of parasites?

First, stop the dog eating raw meat, raw fish and dirty water, and thoroughly eliminate fleas on the dog and in its environment. Second, as owner, avoid letting it roam, since roaming greatly raises the chance of eating eggs or intermediate hosts like mice.

Second, dose dewormers on schedule: products like ChangChongNing and Bayer Drontal kill 99.9% of intestinal parasites, clearing roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, whipworm and giardia at once. If many worms are seen, deworm again after 2 weeks for the most thorough clearance.

ChangChongNing is among the better canine dewormers and many clinics recommend it. Usage: feed directly, very safe, no fasting needed, and dogs usually accept its beef flavor. It breaks worms apart so you rarely see them in stool. Follow labels for other products.

Deworming precautions:

1. Ensure the dog has no hidden illness; observe a new dog over 15 days before deworming. For a dog never dewormed, dose twice (first dose, then again 10-15 days later) for thoroughness.

2. Deworm before vaccination; during immunization resistance drops, so avoid deworming – keep deworming and shots separate.

3. Dose strictly per label – not too much or too little; too much risks poisoning, too little fails.

4. Some pets dislike the taste; wrap tablet bits in sausage or mix crushed into food. Digesting with food reduces gut irritation.

5. A few pets show effect only 3-10 days later; parasites may move up the gut and be vomited, with diarrhea; with heavy infection this is pronounced – if severe reaction, see a vet.

6. Unopened product keeps for years; no worry. But if a dose is unfinished, wrap the remainder in cling film – store no longer than about 2 months.

7. Allergy-prone dogs must not take it; use caution in liver-abnormal dogs. Do not combine with oxantel or piperazine drugs. Clean feces promptly after deworming to avoid re-infection.

Suggested deworming schedule:

There are many views on timing; they are roughly similar.

Plan A: first deworm at about 1 month, then every 3 months.

Plan B: also deworm every 6 months, repeating 10-15 days after the first (1st: Feb-Mar; 2nd: Aug-Sep).

Female: 30 and 15 days before mating.

Pregnant: in principle no deworming; if severe infection, follow a vet’s advice.

Why no worms seen after deworming? Seeing none may make us think the product is fake or poor. Reasons:

1. The pet may have no internal parasites.

2. Parasites were already killed in the gut and ground up by intestines; some eggs passed unnoticed in stool.

3. Over 20 parasite types exist, but only a few are visible (roundworm, tapeworm); 80% are invisible, some needing a microscope.

4. Seeing no worms is good – as dewormer tech improves, larvae and even eggs are killed early, greatly reducing egg soil contamination and re-infection. Also, city infection rates for roundworm, whipworm and hookworm have dropped, so worms after dosing is rarer.

Why vomiting, diarrhea or anorexia after deworming?

After the dose, vomiting, gut upset, diarrhea or anorexia may appear because:

First, all dewormers are a bit more irritating than ordinary tablets, and a dog’s vomiting center is very developed and sensitive; when the gut feels uneasy the body involuntarily vomits.

Second, a puppy’s gut is narrow and roundworms are relatively numerous and large, easily causing puppy diarrhea. When parasites absorb the drug they die, taking much gut lining and releasing toxins that irritate the gut, causing parasite-induced enteritis and diarrhea/vomiting – a normal deworming reaction.

Third, no need to worry; it usually self-resolves in 2-4 days, with about a 20% chance. Heavy infection reacts more strongly. When deworming ends, diarrhea/vomiting end. Usually no anti-vomit or anti-diarrhea drug is needed; if severe, consult a vet promptly. The individual may be too sensitive to that dewormer – consider switching next time.