Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine

Almost every dog at least once in its lifetime has worms.

Worms are so common that there is no reason for extra worry if they are found on time.

There are two types of worm medicine: oral and injectable.

Today, we will guide you through these two types and also give you information on specific worm medicine.

So, let’s start.

What Are Worms?

Worms are organisms that live in and feed off a living host.

There are a variety of parasitic worms that can take up residence in dogs.

Among them are roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and heartworms.

Signs Of Worms In My Dog

In puppies, the first sign of worms is the pot belly. Also, you can notice vomiting and diarrhea.

With bigger dogs, it’s a bit different. Depending on the type of worms there are different signs.

  • roundworms – diarrhea, weightloss, lethargy, and a dull coat;
  • whipworms – chronic weightloss, bloody diarrhea, and a visible mucus coating in feces;
  • hookworms – anemia, weakness, lethargy, and bloody diarrhea;
  • tapeworms – itching, scooting, chewing at the rear end, rapid weightloss.

Heartworm disease is a serious disease that results in severe lung disease, heart failure, other organ damage, and death in dogs. Heartworms are passed by mosquito bites. They can grow and multiply fast in your dog’s heart. A dog cannot catch the disease from being near an infected dog. 

When Should Be The First Deworming?

worm medicine

The first deworming in many vets’ opinions should be when the puppy is 2 to a maximum of 3 weeks old. That is needed because the first worms can be passed through the pregnancy or soon after birth by the mother’s milk.

It will need more than one dose. They should be dewormed every 2 weeks until the puppy is 4 months old at least.

The first dose kills the parasites that are already in the puppy. The next doses are for the next worms and preventive.

After the puppy is 4 months old dewormers should be given every 4 weeks as a preventative measure.

The Best Medicine

No matter what is the case, no matter what is the disease, no matter if it is for humans, no matter if it is for dogs or any other animal, prevention is the best worm medicine.

And now comes the question:

How Can I Prevent My Dog From Worms?

And we have a lot of answers:

  • Make sure your dog is checked for worms by its vet at least once a year; for puppies, it should be 2 to 4 times a year;
  • Make sure that fleas stay away from your dog; there are many flea collars that actually work;
  • Once a month give your dog the worm medicine that your vet had prescribed;
  • Keep great hygiene of your dog.

Active Ingredients Against Worms In Dogs

I will give you a list of active ingredients that are used in worm medicine for our dogs.

  • Praziquantel
    • The most effective and most used parasiticide to treat tapeworms in dogs;
    • It can be taken as tablets or as an injectable dewormer;
    • Works by eliminating the tapeworms’ ability to prevent digestion by your dog. Therefore, they disintegrate and become absorbed into your pet’s body.
    • Usually, it’s given as a one-dose treatment;
    • Side effects that your dog may experience after taking any worm medicine that contains praziquantel:
      • Vomiting;
      • Diarrhea;
      • Loss of appetite;
      • Lethargy;
      • Pain at the injection site.
    • It is safe to be used on dogs that are over 4 weeks old;
    • You can find it as an active ingredient to:
      • Droncit®;
      • Drontal®;
      • Drontal® Plus.
  • Pyrantel pamoate:
    • It is used to treat intestinal roundworm, hookworm, and stomach worm parasites;
    • Available as a capsule, chewable tablet, and liquid suspension;
    • Works by paralyzing worms, which are then expelled from the body in feces;
    • Side effects:
      • Nausea;
      • Vomiting;
      • Lack of appetite;
      • Diarrhea. 
    • You can find it as an active ingredient to:
      • Nemex®;
      • Drontal® Plus;
      • Quad Dewormer.
  • Febantel:
    • It is used for the treatment of hookworms and whipworms;
    • Available mainly in the form of drenches, tablets, and pills, there is no injectable form;
  • Fenbendazole:
    • Used to treat roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and certain types of tapeworms;
    •  Available as oral granules or as a liquid suspension and is given by the mouth; Give fenbendazole with food for best absorption into the body.
    • Fenbendazole is often given once daily for 3 consecutive days and then again in another round 2-3 weeks later;
    • This medication should take effect within 1 to 2 days, but visible effects will take the entire duration of treatment to be recognized.
    • Fenbendazole is considered safe for use in pregnancy in all species. 
    • Side effects:
      • Salivation;
      • Vomiting;
      • Diarrhea.
    • Brand names:
      • Panacur®;
      • Safe-Guard®.

Natural Remedies For Deworming Dogs

  1. Veggies and fruits like carrots, bananas, apples, and coconut are considered natural dewormers. They are high in fiber which helps the dog’s digestive system.
  2. Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacin which is known as a dewormer compound. It paralyzes worms in dogs and prevents them from holding on to the intestinal wall of the dog’s body.
  3. Turmeric’s health benefits for dogs:
    • Turmeric has anti-inflammatory property which helps to decrease the inflammation in your dog’s digestive system and helps cure the damage that worms have already done.
    • Turmeric has an antioxidant property that helps the liver to remove all toxins that were left by worms.

Dogs Deworming Medicine

Many of the drugs in the stores are broad-spectrum which means they will treat a wide range of parasites. They are safe for pets and poisonous to pests.

1. Drontal Plus – The best Broad-Spectrum Worm Medicine

This worm medicine isn’t for puppies younger than 3 weeks old or those weighing less than 2 pounds.

Drontal Plus is a safe broad-spectrum dewormer that eliminates tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms within seven days.

Offer the Drontal Plus Taste Tab flavored chewable tablet to your dog alone or with a small amount of food.

The dewormer has a very low risk for side effects.

It requires a prescription from your veterinarian, and a vet visit is also important because your dog may have other parasites that even a broad-spectrum dewormer can’t eliminate.

Each Drontal Plus Taste Tabs Tablet for Puppies and Small Dogs contains 22.7 mg praziquantel, 22.7 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 113.4 mg febantel.

Each Drontal Plus Taste Tabs Tablet for Medium-Sized Dogs contains 68.0 mg praziquantel, 68.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 340.2 mg febantel.

Each Drontal Plus Taste Tabs Tablet for Large Dogs contains 136.0 mg praziquantel, 136.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 680.4 mg febantel.

2. Droncit – The best tapeworm dewormer

Not intended for use in puppies less than 4 weeks of age.

The product may be administered to pregnant dogs.

A single dose of Droncit is all that is needed to kill both immature and mature forms of tapeworm.

Each tablet contains 34 mg praziquantel.

The recommended dosage of praziquantel varies according to body weight. Smaller dogs require a relatively larger dosage because of their higher metabolic rate.

The tablets are administered by opening the animal’s mouth and pushing the tablet over the back of the tongue so that it cannot be rejected. Alternatively, a tablet can be wrapped in a piece of meat or butter and offered to the animal or crushed and mixed with the food.

After consuming Droncit, in many instances only disintegrated and partially digested pieces of tapeworms will be seen in the stool. The majority of tapeworms are digested and are not found in the feces.

3. Bayer Quad Dewormer Tablets for Dogs

Bayer Quad Dewormer Tablets are:

  • The easy-to-give beef-flavored chewable tablet;
  • Broad-spectrum dewormer;
  • Effective against tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms;
  • For use in dogs over 4 weeks of age.

Not for puppies younger than 4 weeks old or those weighing less than 2 pounds.

The brand has 3 kinds of dewormers: for puppies, for medium dogs, and for large dogs. They threaten tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms, and roundworms.

Each Quad Dewormer Chewable Tablets for Puppies and Small Dogs contains 22.7 mg praziquantel, 22.7 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 113.4 mg febantel.

Each Quad Dewormer Chewable Tablets for Medium Dogs contains 68.0 mg praziquantel, 68.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 340.2 mg febantel.

Each Quad Dewormer Chewable Tablets for Large Dogs contains 136.0 mg praziquantel, 136.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 680.4 mg febantel.

4. Trifexis – The best oral preventive for dogs

Trifexis protects against fleas, heartworm disease, hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm.

It’s a beef-flavored chewable tablet that is safe for dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and weighs at least 5 pounds. The tablet should be given with food for maximum effectiveness.

Trifexis should be taken once every 30 days.

This worm medicine again can be taken only if it is prescribed by a vet.

Final Thoughts & Takeaway

Dog worm medicine should be prescribed by a vet with the right dosage and the interval of time that it should be taken.

Yes, we searched a lot and we have given some of the best options for worm medicine but that doesn’t mean that your vet should give exactly some of them. Your vet knows the best what is good right at this moment for your furry friend.

If you have given some of these worm medicine to your dog let us know by commenting below, and share with us how things went.

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Desislava Asenova
Desislava Asenova

Desi is a dog-lover and proud parent to Daisy, her sweet and sassy Chihuahua. She's always been fascinated by the different diets and eating habits of different animals, and she's especially interested in how food affects a dog's overall health and happiness.

When she's not busy writing about dog food, Desi enjoys pampering Daisy with long walks and playtime in the park. She's also an avid home cook and loves coming up with new recipes for her and Daisy to try out together. She's excited to share her passion for dog food and help other pet owners find the best food for their fur babies.

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