You love your dogs like family, and you treat them as such. That means you do everything in your power to ensure their safety and health. One of the things you likely battle with is keeping them safe from worms. Worms are a real problem for dogs. They can put your dog’s health at risk and can even cause death.
To ensure your dog is in his best health, regular use of dog worming tablets can work. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about dog deworming and how long before your dog reaps the health benefits of it.
What Should I Know About Dog Worms?
Intestinal worms can be an extreme problem for dogs. They can make a dog’s life miserable and cause symptoms of gastrointestinal worm infections. That’s painful and causes your dog diarrhea and weight loss and can even be fatal for younger dogs. They can also cause harm to humans, especially children or people with weakened immune systems.
Types of Worms
Sometimes knowing the different types of worms or internal parasites your dog is facing helps to know the best way to treat it. Your vet can help to tell if your dog is carrying a certain type of worm. Here are the common intestinal worms that may harbor inside your dog.
- Tapeworms are the type of parasites that form a long flat shape and can grow as long as 20 centimeters.
- Hookworms are common intestinal parasites that are extremely small — the smallest type of dog worm.
- Whipworm is another intestinal parasite and grows as big as half an inch long.
- Roundworm is an intestinal parasite generally found in puppies and younger dogs.
How Can I Deworm My Dog?
The good news is your dog can be dewormed through regular treatment. Liquid dewormers or dog worming tablets work well, but some may be better for adult dogs versus puppies. Some treatments are designed to kill the worms, and some are designed to dissolve the worms. We’ll focus on deworming tablets. As always, consult with your vet for recommendations on which treatment is best for you pup.
Tablets work as well as liquid and may be just as easy to administer. If you administer it just before feeding time when they’re hungry, this may guarantee they chew it all up. Oral medication is a common way to administer most medicines for our FurBall friends. So if you’re a new dog owner, get used to it. It’s important that once the tablet is given that they chew it up and swallow it. But not all medicine requires it being chewed or crushed, so verify with the vet before administering.
Your vet will recommend an accurate dosage for your dog; a lot of that depends on your dog’s weight, and if it’s a puppy or an adult dog. If you administer too much, your dog will need immediate attention. So, follow the vet’s instructions. Depending on the dosage, you may be able to cut the tablet in half or quarters. You could hide it in his food or give it to him as a doggy treat.
When Should I Deworm My Dog?
Deworming regularly gives your dog an advantage…protection from those awful worms that will try to take over their lives. There is a bit of discrepancy among experts as to how often you should use a treatment. When your dogs are young puppies, within a few weeks of age, they should get their first deworming treatment. From there, within months of age they will need a monthly deworming treatment. Finally as adults, a lot depends on various factors:
- Level of risks from worms in your area?
- Are these seasonal risks?
- What type or species of worm is prevalent in your area?
- Are multiple pets in the household?
- Are you near other farm animals?
- Are there any people, especially young children, at risk of getting parasites from dogs and other pets?
- How old is the pet?
Your dog’s lifestyle will determine how often to deworm him. But most owners prefer to deworm about once every three months. If your dog spends a lot of time around animals that could possibly infect them, you may need to deworm it more often.
How Do You Know If a DeWormer Is Working?
The type of dewormer used will give signs that the dewormer is working. Following administration of the medicine, over the following days, most dead worms come out in your dog’s poop. They’re white in color and look like grains of rice. For others that use dewormer treatments that break down worms rather than kill them, it will be harder to actually see a dead worm in their poop to know that it’s working. But there are other signs.
As the worms leave your dog’s body, you’ll notice your dog is happier and has more energy. They may want to play more. They may also put on a little weight because the worms are no longer taking their nutrition from their food. Your dog should also be showing a more solid and healthy-looking poop.
If before deworming you noticed your dog doing a lot of scooting or rubbing against things, the treatment is working if you now notice a lot less of that.
What Happens After Deworming My Dog?
It’s normal for a dog to have mild side effects after deworming treatment. That may include vomiting two or three hours after receiving the treatment. So, giving them food with the tablet may help to prevent vomiting. If your dog does vomit, ensure they don’t vomit the tablet whole. If they do, you will need to re-administer the treatment.
It’s also common for a dog to suffer from a loss of appetite after treatment or diarrhea, but these shouldn’t be severe cases or last long. However, if more severe side effects like salivation, muscle twitching or seizures occur, contact your vet as soon as possible.
How Long Do Dog Worming Tablets Take to Work?
Within a couple of hours after giving your dog treatment the deworming process starts and you’ll notice it working. Worms will be killed or destroyed right away. You’ll even notice it in your dog’s stool. Within a couple of weeks, your dog should be rid of worms.
How Can I Keep My Dog Healthy After the Worms Leave?
How to Prevent Your Pet Getting Worms or Parasites
One treatment will not rid your dogs of worms forever. It’s great that the worms are currently gone, but here are some ways to keep worms away for good.
- Immediately remove any poop from your backyard, as your dog can lick in it or walk in it (that’s where the worms are).
- Wash your dog’s bedding regularly.
- Wash your dog’s toys and leash in warm water regularly.
- Vacuum your carpet often.
- Bath your dog often.
- Regularly treat your dog for worms by deworming with treatment tablets every three months.
What’s Worse Than Worms…
The Internet is great, we love it, we work on it, we consume it. But, what’s worse than worms? Believing that the Internet is the only resource for fingering out what is going on with your pup.
It’s always a good idea to educate yourself, but there is no substitute for professional help. So, while we love being a resource for fun dog toys, and we like to help pet owners understand how to take care of their loved one’s, here at FurBallFun.com we never claim to be an expert.
Parasites are a serious matter and although dog worming tablets can work, it’s best to know for sure what is going on and what action to take. If your pup is experiencing unusual behavior or adverse reactions, seek out veterinary advice.
Until Next Time,
Harvey
