Worms in dogs are very common and I think every one of us, dog owners, have at least once thought “if I can deworm my dog myself wouldn’t it save me time and money“?
YES, we can deworm our dogs at home.
It’s not something new, people practice it for a long time.
Deworming at home has its cons and pros but more of them you can find above as I am giving a complete guide on it.
Let’s first start with the basic information we have to know before we start to search for dewormers and the deworming process.
What Are Worms?
Worms are parasites that feed off the insides of dogs. That leads to many health problems for your dog.
Examples of these parasites besides worms are also fleas, ticks, and Giardia.
If worms are left untreated your dog will feel worse and worse.
Signs And Types Of Worms In Dogs
Signs like diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, and lethargy are generally the main symptoms of worms in dogs. But some of them can be mistaken for food problems too.
Roundworms can cause diarrhea, weight loss, a dull coat, or lethargy.
Signs of Whipworms are chronic weight loss, bloody diarrhea, and a visible mucus coating on the feces.
Hookworms are causing anemia, weakness, lethargy, and bloody diarrhea.
Tapeworms: Itching, scooting, chewing at the rear end, and rapid weight loss.
The biggest sign that you can notice is visible segments that look like grains of rice attached to the fur around their bottom or on their tail (or in their feces).
Weight loss can be expected even if your dog eats more.
Roundworms and hookworms can be passed to the puppy from the mother by the birth or by her milk.
Now, if you have a puppy, or a senior dog and confused like this reddit user, then I am going to help you clear all the confusion on when you should deworm your dog.
When Should I Deworm My Dog For First Time?
If you have a puppy, then the first deworming should happen in the first 2-3 weeks and the next deworming should be every 2 weeks until the puppy is 4 months old.
If you recently adopted or bought a dog, then it should have had already its first deworming. Go with your dog to the vet, and make them all the necessary tests to check if some types of worms are inside.
Then your dog will prescribe you dewormers, the dosage, and how often to do it.
What Should I Know Before Deworming My Dog?
It’s very very important to use the dewormers that your vet prescribed. In that way, you won’t underdose or overdose the amount that your dog should take.
Dogs over 4 months should be dewormed once every 4 weeks until they are 6 months old.
After that dogs should be dewormed every 3 months to prevent them from getting worms.
Natural Remedies For Deworming Dogs
Yes, most veterinarians don’t recommend natural remedies for deworming our dogs. Because they think natural remedies are a waste of money and time.
But I am going to share the few things that I know work but I let you decide on your own. You know your dog better than me!
I will share things that work but if they don’t work for your dog that’s not a problem because they are safe and can’t harm your furry friend.
Let’s start:
- Fruits and vegetables:
- Turmeric
- It turns out that turmeric is really good for dogs with its healthy benefits:
- 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.
- It turns out that turmeric is really good for dogs with its healthy benefits:
As you got to know turmeric has really good properties for your dog and it can be used not only as a natural dewormer but also after the deworming process.
Medical Treatments For Worms In Dogs
Sometimes natural remedies don’t help and that’s okay. As worms are a really serious problem for our dogs, we should look for a treatment that will help them fast and also will keep them worm-free for a long time.
Deworming is a treatment that kills worms in dogs and prevents them to come back. But this prevention will work only if there is a follow-up treatment. The deworming medication depends on the type of worm that you are trying to get rid of and on your dog’s weight, health, and activity status. Not all worms respond to the same treatment.
Most probably your vet is going to prescribe you broad-spectrum medicine.
Even if you deworm your dog yourself you should consult with your vet. He is going to prescribe your dog the best treatment and it will be focused right on the worm type that is the problem.
How To Deworm My Dog Myself?
Here comes the most essential part of our guide.
How can I deworm my dog myself?
As I have said already, the first step is to consult with your vet.
They will need information if you already have noticed some worm signs or if you are trying to deworm your dog but only to prevent it.
If you have noticed some signs your vet will need a sample of your dog’s poop. They will examine it and by this, they will be sure what kind of worm they are facing.
Then most often they give the first dose of the deworming medicine to your dog. They prescribe your dog’s dewormer, tell you the dosage, and ask you if you want to do the next dosage (usually after 2 weeks) by yourself or if they can do it for you.
There are two types of deworming medicine:
- Oral medicine,
- and Injectable medicine;
Oral medicine is easy to give by yourself.
If it’s a tablet, lift your dog’s head, place the pill in the back of its throat, and then hold the mouth closed while you rub the throat. You have to make sure your dog swallowed it all and then you should pay attention to your dog for some time because there are cases where dogs return the medicine. If this happens, there is another way to give a tablet dewormer. Hide the tablet (you can crush it in smaller pieces even) in a bit of food or some treat that your dog loves.
If it is a liquid dewormer you can give it to your dog by syringe. But, if it is an injectable dewormer it gets a bit difficult if your dog is very active and it’s okay if you don’t feel sure to give it by yourself. I always recommend to my friends that injectable dewormers should be given by their vet.
Video Guide
How To Deworm My Dog Myself: Conclusion
If the dewormer is table or liquid you can deworm your dog yourself easily, but injectable medicine is better be given by vets.
If you have any other questions, let us know in the comment section below.
