Worm Infections in Dogs

WORM INFECTIONS IN DOGS

Your puppy always has huge potential to become a home – sweet – home for all kinds of intestinal parasites.

We could list plenty of instinctive dog habits that get them into trouble with worms:

Digging in the dirt, licking the ground, chewing on sandals and shoes, rolling around and crawling everywhere, digging through trash, eating whatever they come across.

And personally, I’m not a fan of… kissing your dog or letting your dog lick your mouth, once you’re fully aware of what’s

in his saliva (a quick lick on the face followed by an immediate face-wash is fine).

Our dogs love us a lot, but around small children you need to be extra careful — a lick on the face can lead to a skin condition.

1. Signs your dog needs deworming

– Vomiting (don’t confuse this with a dog eating grass outside and then throwing up — that’s nothing unusual).

– Diarrhea.

– Occasional signs of coughing.

– Turning around and constantly licking… underneath the tail.

– And the easiest sign to spot: your dog getting thinner and losing its appetite.

2. Risks when your dog has worms

– In most cases, your dog will just get an upset stomach, lose their appetite, and stop eating… and honestly, none of us wants to see them suffer through that. But in some cases it can get dangerous — infection can spread to the lungs and esophagus, gradually worsening, even leading to death; that has really happened. There’s also a type that lives in the heart, lungs, and blood called heartworm, which spreads through mosquito bites and is extremely dangerous. You might not think of it this way, but keeping your yard and house clean, and washing out your dog’s living area, is also one of the best ways to prevent illness.

• Eating dry kibble also helps prevent worm infections in dogs

3. Deworming schedule for dogs

– Two weeks old (before the first vaccine shot) -> first deworming.

– After that, deworm every 2 weeks (weeks 4, 6, and 8).

– Once your dog is 2 months old, deworm once a month until 6 months old.

– From 6 months old onward, deworm once every 3 months, until 1 year old.

– From 1 year old onward, dogs need deworming once a year for the rest of their life.

This is the general dog deworming schedule for most breeds today. For more precise guidance tailored to a specific breed, visit the vets at Veterinary Care – BTM Pet Shop for advice.

(*) Note: Don’t use human deworming medication or laxatives to deworm your dog. This can cause an overdose or drug shock in dogs. It also simply doesn’t work on dogs or cats.