Deworming dog - Worming procedure

Deworming in dogs

Parasites such as worms that infest dogs are annoying but perfectly normal problems in life with free-roaming pets. Symptoms often do not occur until infestations become more advanced. Dogs slip on their bottoms, clear their throats and swallow immediately (called "backwards sneezing"), and develop diarrhea or coat problems. How dogs get infected, what helps against worms and if they are also a danger for you as a dog owner, you can read below.

How does a dog get infected with worms?

An infection with worms, explained using the example of roundworm, proceeds as follows:

• by sniffing excrement, ingesting it or successfully hunting small rodents, the eggs or larvae of the worm enter your dog's organism
• via the intestine they reach the liver where they hatch or shed their skin again
• via the bloodstream they reach the lungs, where they mature for a while
• the larvae crawl through the windpipe to the larynx, trigger a cough reflex and are either spat out or swallowed.
• in the intestine they become adults; females now lay up to 200,000 eggs a day
• the eggs are excreted with the faeces and ingested by other animals; severe worm infestation leads to itching, which also promotes the spread of the eggs.

In the case of low infestation, an infection with worms often has no serious consequences, however, especially in puppies, seniors or chronically ill animals, a worm infection can develop into a serious problem. If left untreated, worms can destroy internal organs and cause the dog to lose weight.

How does deworming work in dogs?

Depending on whether you want a stool examination in advance, it is first determined whether there are worm eggs or segments in the droppings of your dog. This can be useful as a faecal examination costs only slightly more than deworming tablets for dog.

Worming tablets (Milbemax for dogs) or paste (Banminth) are available, the latter being more commonly taken for puppies. The treatment is very simple: the tablet or paste is given directly to the dog, according to its age and weight. Within 24 hours all worms in the body will die. Sometimes diarrhea occurs during this period, but this is not a negative reaction to the medication, but a side effect that occurs when the dead worms are excreted. The diarrhea should subside within two days.

Can worm infestations be prevented?

This can be answered quite simply: No. A worming treatment cannot protect dogs from reinfection. It only kills the worms that are in your dog's body at the time it is given. If your dog eats another mouse or foreign feces the next day, he may already be reinfected. Worming treatments for dogs do not have a depot effect.

How often should a dog be wormed?

For adult dogs, veterinarians advise regular deworming about every three months. Puppies should be wormed much more often, as they can become infected in the womb and after birth through their mother's milk. At two weeks of age and then at two-week intervals, you should deworm puppies until they are no longer getting their mother's milk. After that, deworming is best done once a month until the puppies are six months old. Before that, even a fecal test instead of giving the medication is not an option.

Is worm infestation transmissible to humans?

Basically yes. Worms that infect your dog can also survive in your body. Under normal hygienic circumstances, an infection with worms is very unlikely, but especially small children are at risk. Not only do they still very often put their fingers in their mouths no matter what they have touched before, but their body size also invites many dogs to lick them across the face, which can also encourage infection. So if you have contact with small children, be sure to worm your dogs regularly, or have them tested for worms.

In addition, you should always deworm all animals in the household. Cats living in the same household should also be dewormed.