How often to worm

[Jane Austen]

When I asked my vet about worming on a regular basis she said she didn't want to administer anything with out having a stool sample as she doesn't believe in dosing with out reason.
How regularly do others treat their dogs with worming drugs.

[MyPemCharlie]

I have Charlie on Advantage Multi, which is once-a-month topical. It kills fleas, heartworms and intestinal worms. My last dog was on the once-a-month oral Sentinel which is also a wormer in addition to flea control/heartworm.

You're monthly flea control and/or heartworm medication may also be an intestinal wormer. The vet may or may not have considered that if you were asking her specifically about worming.

[Jane Austen]

Yes, I give Duchess the Heart Worm Plus that controls some worms. I just gave the vet a stool sample so I should hear from that soon. She drags her bottom sometimes. I have been told that could be a food allergy too. She does not do it often so it is not easy to find the specific food that she may be allergic to.
It is embarrassing to have her drag her bottom when we are in a group. I feel like people are thinking I don't take good care of my dog. And it is not her glands that need evacuating. That aspect has been checked.

[MyPemCharlie]

It's probably absolutely nothing to worry about. Dragging their rear for more than a couple days can be an indication of parasites, worms or an allergy.

I've never met a dog or cat though that didn't do the rare and occassional "itchy-butt drag" now and then. One or two days maybe, then they're fine for months or years. She probably just ate something that didn't mix with whatever other food was in her system. It is embarrassing though, isn't it?

No more jalapenos!

[Cheetah]

Since there are no fleas here, I don't use any sort of pesticides on or in my dogs. Instead, they are given food grade diatomaceous earth in their meals. It is a natural, safe way to prevent worms. It can also be dusted on a dog to kill fleas, if you have that problem.

[Michael Romanos]

With normal multi-purpose chemical-based worm tablets, there is no need to be too concerned about the exact timing of administering the drugs and there is no harm done if given in excess of the recommended dosage. I give Taylor both a multi purpose worm tablet and his flea & tick Frontline once every four months. But in some countries, these kinds of drugs need to be administered with a shorter gap.
In NZ, in normal circumstances, a vet would not be at all concerned about diagnosing a pup's/dog's stools for purposes of the dog been normal worming tablets.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

With normal multi-purpose chemical-based worm tablets, there is no need to be too concerned about the exact timing of administering the drugs and there is no harm done if given in excess of the recommended dosage.

In the US we are warned and cautioned all the time about not overdosing our dogs. Perhaps we have different or stronger deworming medications. But here, yes you can overdose and yes, you can make your dog sick or kill them by dosing too much or too frequently. So please contact your vets before deworming your dogs.

Some heartworm meds do have dewormers in them too, but not all of them do. So read your packaging. If you are giving monthly tablets that have a dewormer in them you would not want to be giving more or a different kind without a vets advice.

As for how frequently a dog needs to be dewormed, it depends on the dog and where you live. Some places have a bigger problem than others. And some dogs seem more prone to getting worms than others do. As your vet for advice.

Peggy

[Michael Romanos]

We don't have heartworm in New Zealand but we have all the other worms that leading international chemical-based drugs do the work. And the vets and distributors of these all call the same tune with the administering of them.