Key Things to Know About Dog Deworming
📝 Summary
Dog parasites: external (fleas, lice, ticks, mites) and internal (coccidia, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, giardia). Signs: scooting, black specks, thin-but-bloated belly, cough/lethargy, worms in stool. Start ~1 mo; pups internal q3mo/external monthly, adults q6mo. Dose by weight; 3h after meals; wait 7d post-vaccine; no single drug kills all.
1 Types and Signs
External: fleas, lice, ticks, mites. Internal: coccidia, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, giardia. Watch for: more scratching/scooting; black spots on the coat; a non-pregnant dog with a bloated but thin body and bigger appetite (heavy worms); cough, rapid breathing, low energy, sleepiness with no other illness; or worms in stool (collect a sample for the clinic).
2 Schedule and Cautions
Start about a month after birth (mothers transmit parasites). Puppies: internal every 3 months, external monthly; adults every 6 months. First dose with many worms? Repeat internal in 2 weeks. Dose by weight/age per the label or vet; give ~3 hours after meals since dewormers mildly irritate the gut. Vaccines are not dewormers—wait 7 days after vaccination. No single product kills every parasite, so target each type with your vet and keep the dog’s space clean.
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