Deworming: is this procedure mandatory?
All parasites (band, round or flat) when they enter a dog’s body cause clinical signs of infection: dullness of the coat, increased shedding, allergic reactions.
The extent of symptoms depends on the intensity of the infestation.
What harm do worms cause?
With chronic helminthiasis, toxic hepatitis, general intoxication, metabolic disorders, and destruction of internal organs develop.
The presence of parasites in the intestines leads to inflammation, perforation of the walls, and peritonitis. A large number of worms can cause intestinal blockage.
The effect of parasites on a puppy’s body is especially destructive.
Regular processing
The owner of a domestic dog must regularly treat and prevent worms in his pet. Treatment for parasites helps reduce their numbers to a minimum.
It is important to remember that it is impossible to completely rid an animal of worms, since it is in daily contact with sources of infection: soil, dust, grass, water, relatives. But treating parasites at least 2 times a year can preserve the health of the pet and protect the owner from infection.
Contraindications for worming
Contacting a veterinarian is also important because in some cases worming is prohibited. Such situations include the following:
- sick, weak and exhausted animals;
- postoperative period;
- puppy age up to 2 weeks;
- the presence of external parasites - fleas, ticks, lice.
In some cases, the procedure must be carried out with caution:
- presence of chronic diseases;
- tendency to allergic reactions.
It is recommended to take into account such contraindications and report them to the veterinarian during the examination and selection of products.
Not every dog can be forced to take a pill.
Signs of helminthiasis
It is not difficult to determine that an animal is infected with parasites. There are characteristic clinical signs of the presence of helminths in a dog’s body.
Symptoms of helminthic infestation:
- significant weight loss with good appetite;
pallor of the mucous membranes;- decreased activity;
- unkempt fur - dull, disheveled;
- heavy shedding;
- constipation alternates with diarrhea;
- vomiting for no reason;
- skin rashes;
- bloated stomach;
- mucus and blood appear in the animal's feces.
Your pet may scratch its anus while rolling on the floor.
Drops on the withers
To apply the liquid to the withers, you need to part the fur and drip the drug onto the skin. For a puppy, you can additionally apply it to the skin between the shoulder blades; for large dogs, the product is dripped along the ridge at several points. Some drugs need to be rubbed in.
Prices start from 100 rubles. The most famous drugs:
Helminthal drops on the withers for dogs: reviews and instructions for use
- "Helmintal";
- "Advocate";
- "In-Up complex".
How often to perform the procedure
Some dog breeders claim that the procedure should be carried out once every 3 months. Veterinarians do not agree with this statement, since anti-worm medications contain toxic substances that negatively affect the animal’s liver and kidneys.
Expert opinion on frequency: it is recommended to treat worms once every six months. If the animal eats dry food, the number of procedures is reduced to once a year.
Animals that eat raw meat are recommended to deworm 3 times a year. It is necessary to simultaneously treat the animal against fleas, since they are also a source of infection.
Special cases
Anthelmintic procedures are mandatory in some situations:
- The animal must be cleaned of parasites 2 weeks before vaccination. The vaccine weakens the immune system for some time. Worms can become active during this period and cause irreparable harm to the dog.
The worms are treated before mating (about 15 days before estrus).- In families where a dog lives and a child is expected, preventive treatment of worms is recommended. This will protect the baby from infection.
Anti-parasite medications are prohibited for pregnant and lactating bitches.
Old and sick animals are not treated with worms: their body will not tolerate the effects of toxic substances.
Do not prescribe anti-worm medications to young dogs during illness. Their use is justified 2 weeks after complete recovery.
Medicines for worms
Anthelmintic drugs contain substances that destroy adult worms. Antihelminthics are produced in the form of drops, pastes, tablets, gels, and suspensions.
Examination by a veterinarian
Before the procedure, the dog is shown to the veterinarian . This is necessary for laboratory testing of stool and examination of the pet. Based on the test results, the doctor selects an effective drug aimed at destroying the existing type of parasites.
A standard regimen of anthelmintic medications may not be effective against fluke worms.
Dosage
After choosing the drug, it is necessary to correctly calculate the dosage. This is done based on the weight of the animal. The instructions for each medicine contain a detailed diagram and recommendations for use. There is an indication of what dosage is needed per 1 kg of animal weight.
It is strictly prohibited to change the doctor’s prescription by exceeding or decreasing the amount of the product.
Classification of anthelmintics
Veterinary pharmacies and pet stores offer a wide range of deworming products intended for adult animals or small puppies. Let's look at the most common of them.
Drontal
This anthelmintic drug comes in the form of pale yellow tablets. They should be taken at the rate of 1 piece. per 10 kg of dog weight. The active ingredients are pyrantel embonate, praziquantel and febantel. Destroys round and tapeworms.
Feed the required amount of the drug to your pet in the morning. The tablets can be placed on the back of the tongue or mixed with your favorite food. Some dogs are happy to eat them on their own, due to the characteristic meaty taste.
The drug can be fed to puppies starting from 2 weeks of age (if the baby's weight exceeds 2 kg), as well as to lactating bitches. The approximate cost of one tablet is 160-200 rubles.
Kanikquantel Plus
This anthelmintic effectively destroys cestodes, trematodes and nematodes. The active ingredients are praziquantel and fenbendazole.
The drug is available in the form of a gel or tablets. It can be used to deworm puppies from the fourth week of life, but the dosage must be strictly followed.
Canikquantel Plus is force-fed to dogs (placed on the root of the tongue) or mixed with a piece of treat. For picky animals, you can prepare a suspension by grinding the drug, which must be dissolved in water and poured into the mouth using a spoon or syringe without a needle.
Milbemax
This drug is sold in the form of oval white tablets. The active ingredients are praziquantel and milbemycin oxime. This product destroys both adult helminths and their larvae. Milbemax is effective in the treatment of cestodes and nematodes.
Pregnant bitches should be fed the drug only under the supervision of a veterinarian. It can also be used to deworm puppies, starting from the third week of life, and their body weight should exceed 500 g. It is not recommended to use Milbemax to treat dogs of the bobtail, sheltie and collie breeds.
Prazicide
This drug is available in the form of light yellow tablets or suspension. The active ingredients are praziquantel and pyrantelpamoate. This product destroys nematodes and cestodes.
Before feeding, the suspension should be shaken well, then measure the required amount using a syringe and pour it into the pet’s mouth. The tablets can be mixed with your favorite treat.
It is recommended to feed Prazicide to pregnant bitches 3 weeks before giving birth under the supervision of a veterinarian and only in case of urgent need. The drug should not be given to puppies if they are less than three weeks old.
Azinox
This anthelmintic drug comes in the form of white tablets. It is aimed at combating cestodes. The main active ingredient is praziquantel. The drug also contains pyrantelapamoate, which destroys nematodes.
Azinox is contraindicated in small puppies up to three weeks old and pregnant bitches. The tablets are fed in the form of a pre-prepared suspension (1 t. must be dissolved in 10 ml of water) or with a small piece of food.
Safety regulations
When treating an animal for worms, it is important to strictly follow the veterinarian’s recommendations and strictly adhere to the drug dosage regimen.
Overestimating the recommended doses threatens to intoxicate the dog’s entire body; underestimating them makes the procedure ineffective: parasites will continue to multiply and harm the pet.
Dog health
Anthelmintic drugs are given only to healthy animals.
Toxic substances negatively affect a weakened body, leading to irreversible consequences. After the pet has fully recovered, the worms are treated after 2 weeks, but not earlier.
Which form of release is the most effective?
The form of release of anthelmintic drugs does not affect the result. Only the speed of action can differ. In specialized pet stores you will find different types of medications. It is worth purchasing them based on convenience. You can choose from the following forms:
- tablets;
- paste;
- drops;
- suspensions;
- injection solutions.
The form of release of anthelmintic drugs has no effect on the result
Deworming of bitches
Males can be given anti-parasite medications at any time. With bitches things are different.
Estrus and pregnancy period
It is recommended that dogs of both sexes undergo deworming 10 days before mating: females - 10–15 days before the expected date of estrus.
This significantly reduces the likelihood of infection in future offspring. After mating, anti-parasite medications can no longer be given. Pregnant dogs are not wormed. Toxic substances in anthelmintic drugs can negatively affect the development of offspring in the womb.
The period of pregnancy and lactation is a direct contraindication to the use of anthelmintic drugs. In case of urgent need, the expulsion of worms is carried out 2 weeks after birth.
First procedure for puppies
The puppy is wormed for the first time no earlier than three weeks of age . In this case, the baby’s weight must exceed 0.5 kg.
Choice of drug
For a safe procedure, special preparations for puppies are chosen.
The packaging must be marked accordingly. Medicines Elanco and Milbemax meet these requirements. When choosing a product, they are guided by reviews about it, ease of use, and price. Effective and safe anti-worm medications for puppies: Helmimax, Prazicide, etc.
It is important to strictly follow the instructions and correctly calculate the dosage in accordance with the weight of the pet.
Please note that all drugs work according to different schemes and repeated use may be required. If all requirements are met, the deworming procedure is effective.
Periodicity
After the first procedure, the puppy is wormed again after 2 weeks. Then deworming is carried out a week before the first vaccination; each time the baby must be given anthelmintic drugs before vaccination.
"Milprazone." Description and reviews
This combination drug is intended for puppies and dogs weighing from 500 grams to 5 kg. Active ingredients: milbemycin oxime and praziquantel.
The drug has proven itself to be an effective remedy. Those who have used it say that Milprazone really helps fight internal parasites. In addition, no side effects are observed when used even in small puppies.
Prevention
Along with the deworming procedure, parasite prevention is important. An adult dog is dewormed depending on its diet and living conditions.
The first group includes animals whose diet consists only of purchased food. They do not eat raw meat, do not walk outside, and do not have contact with cats and other dogs.
For such pets, worm prevention is carried out 2 times a year or it is replaced by stool examination in a veterinary clinic.
If the animal is under the full control of the owner during a walk, it is recommended to deworm it 4 times a year.
If the animal walks outside on its own, communicates with street dogs, eats feces, and has raw meat in its diet, then it is recommended to give deworming medications 5 times a year.
Hunting dogs that eat game and come into contact with street animals are dewormed every 2 months. The interval may be longer if you regularly submit stool for analysis.
If there are small children and people with weakened immune systems in the house, the pet is treated with deworming medications at least 4 times a year.
For preventive purposes, broad-spectrum drugs are chosen. They are effective against many types of worms.
The most popular of them: Cestal, Vermox, Drontal plus, Pratel, Kanikquantel plus. They are available in different forms: drops, tablets, suspensions.
The dog owner chooses the dosage form that is easier and more convenient to give to the pet. For example, especially aggressive animals are prescribed drops on the withers, liquid solutions or suspensions are suitable for puppies, and an adult can cope with taking tablets.
"Drontal." Description and reviews
We have already told you when to worm puppies, then we will look at different drugs. Knowing this information, you can independently choose the appropriate product.
"Drontal" is a drug that has a broad anthelmintic effect. Available in the form of tablets, which are designed for 10 and 35 kilograms.
Dog breeders consider this drug to be quite effective, but expensive. Some owners had problems with the product and their pets experienced side effects. There is an opinion that there are now many counterfeits of this drug on the market, which is why many dog breeders have switched to other products.
