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Dog deworming is an absolutely mandatory and necessary health practice, let’s find out why…
In this article we will learn all the most important aspects about deworming your pup, when to do it in both puppies and adults, and on the basis of some premises. During the first days of life, puppies receive antibodies from the mother’s milk, but over time, and due to the interruption of lactation, puppies must be vaccinated.
Following the correct medical procedure to deworm your pet dog is really essential, so as soon as the puppy is between 6 and 8 weeks old, you should vaccinate it. In addition to the typical vaccines that each veterinarian administers, there is another mandatory preventive measure that must be carried out: deworming.
According to our approach, we are going to see what it is about, how it is done, everything that needs to be done and the cost of a medical practice that has become mandatory.
Deworming in Dogs: What is it?
First of all we have to distinguish between two types of deworming, depending on where the parasite that we want to eliminate is found.
A parasite is an organism that lives inside (internal parasites) or on the surface of our dog’s skin (external parasites), and usually causes mild to serious damage or diseases, so it is important that we deworm our animals with the appropriate products.
Parasites in Dogs: Symptoms
What is certain is that all dogs are attacked by these parasites: all dog breeds and also mongrels can be affected. The most common symptoms of parasites in dogs are:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Opaque mantle
- Anal itching
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Allergies
- Small white worms in immediately released feces
Internal parasites
These parasites, as their name suggests, live inside the body of our pet, mainly in the intestines. They can be classified into 2 groups:
- Flatworms, tenias, or cestodes, among the most common ones we find the Dipylidium caninum, Taenia hydatigena, Echinococcus granulosus.
Among these, perhaps the most important one is the Echinococcus granulosus, since it can be transferred to humans. Dogs or cats harbor the adult parasite without causing any alteration. The larvae released from their eggs become encysted in the form of “Hydatid Cysts” in different locations, but especially in the liver where they can cause serious disorders.
The dog is infected by ingesting the viscera of animals with these hydatid cysts (sheep, goats).
To prevent this, it is important not to give our pets raw viscera of other animals, food must always be cooked. Furthermore, we should do an internal deworming at least twice a year in our pets, especially if they live with small children, who usually play outside, on the ground, and sometimes they don’t wash their hands before putting them in their mouths.
- Roundworms: Trichuris, Strongylus, Ascaris, Toxocara and Ancylostoma
Animals with parasites may or may not show the symptoms of certain diseases. In the case of puppies, parasites can cause severe diarrhea, nutritional deficiencies, nervousness, etc ., they are also a source of contagion for other animals and people.
The eggs of these parasites are eliminated with the animal’s feces and that is how they can infect humans, you always have to pay special attention to children as we mentioned above.
Ascaris are very common in dogs, they spread in the intestine and can be transmitted through the mother during pregnancy if she was not properly dewormed, but they can also reach the puppy through the breast milk.
Therefore, prompt deworming in puppies is an essential medical practice.
External parasites
As the name suggests, these parasites live on the outside of the dog’s body. Those that concern us most are fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. Let’s see why.
- Fleas, in addition to being annoying to the animal, can also “bite” people. In addition, in allergic animals, flea bites can cause serious dermatitis problems. We can find fleas at any time of the year.
- Ticks, in addition to causing discomfort in the animal such as dermatitis, itching, etc ., can also transmit serious diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsiosis, Borreliosis, Babesiosis, among others to both animals and humans.
It is not necessary for the animal to have a large number of ticks on it to contract a disease. We see ticks especially during spring and autumn but there are regions where they are found all year round.
It is convenient, at least during spring or when it starts to get warm, to protect our animals from these parasites by placing collars, pipettes or sprays for such use and to renew them during the risk period.
- Mosquito bites are to be taken seriously because there is a type of mosquito that can transmit the dreaded Leishmaniasis and Filariosis to our animals. We can avoid its sting with these tips:
- Avoid walking the animals at dawn and dusk from spring to fall
- Place mosquito nets on windows and doors
- Place “anti mosquito” devices in the sockets
- Use mosquito repellent essential oils such as citronella, geranium, lavender, etc.
- Place antiparasitic pipettes or collars on the animal
Deworming in Puppies: When to do It
- Internal deworming: a first deworming should be done within 20 days after the puppy is born.
It is important to note that the mother also needs to be dewormed, because otherwise she could infect the puppy during lactation. Afterwards, it is necessary to carry out another deworming, 25 days after the first one: in this way the problem of intestinal parasites will be definitively solved.
If we want to be sure, it is even better to have a veterinarian analyze the puppy’s feces two months after the second deworming. Depending on the result, the use of a more suitable product will be determined.
It will always be the vet who will establish with certainty whether the puppy should continue with a deworming treatment or not.
- External deworming: it will depend on where our puppy lives (outside or inside the house), if it lives with other animals or not.
During the hot seasons it is essential to deworm your pet. The vet will be the one who will advise you on the most convenient product. In any case, it is not advisable to apply it before the dog is 8 weeks old.
Deworming in Dogs: How Often to do it
In order to have our animal in perfect health and hygienic condition, it is advisable to deworm it internally at least twice a year, due to the life cycle of these parasites, and externally with the periodicity indicated by the chosen product, which is usually every month (in hot months) or every 3 months.
External deworming should also be done as prevention, even if we don’t see fleas, ticks or mosquitoes. This can be done with several products, you can talk to your veterinarian if you have doubts about which would be the best option for your pet.
External Deworming: Antiparasitics
We discuss some of the options that exist in the market as antiparasitics:
Pipettes for Dogs
They are antiparasitics that come in the form of ampoules, containing the antiparasitic inside. They are easy to apply (the contents of the pipette are poured on the withers of the animal, parting the hair to ensure that it is going to spread over the skin) and their duration varies between 1 to 3 months depending on the product.
These pipettes are sold according to the weight of the animal.
As special precautions for using these products, we have to bear in mind that we cannot bathe the animal neither 48 hours before nor 48 hours after the application of the pipette.
Dog Pills
They are antiparasitics administered orally. Their effect is quite immediate and lasts between one month and three months depending on the active principle. They are sold according to weight range and species.
Tablets are useful to deworm our dog externally, especially in cases of flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). They are also convenient in animals with skin alterations, or in the case of animals that get wet or bathe a lot.
There are pills that, in addition to acting externally, also act against internal parasites, so they can be a very practical option.
Antiparasitic Collars for Dogs
They are antiparasitics that are placed around the neck like a collar, they are made of a porous material that gradually releases the active principle over a long period of time (from 6 to 8 months depending on the collar).
Its spectrum of action is effective against fleas, ticks, and in some cases, also against sandflies (leishmaniasis mosquito).
In addition to any product that we apply to our animal, it is important to disinfect the environment where the animal lives, if we suspect or are sure of the presence of parasites.
We recommend vacuuming the house, focusing on carpets, corners, sofas, etc., and then using an environmental dewormer sold in some shops, pet stores or veterinary clinics.
If you have more questions, you can consult a professional near your home, who will provide the best assistance and answer all your questions.
You may be interested in reading another article related to the reproduction of our friends such as:
- Neutering in Dogs
- Weaning Puppies
- Phantom or False Pregnancy in Female Dogs
- Dogs Mating
- Dog Pregnancy
