Do you deworm your dog preventatively? How often?

April 14, 2022 2:47 PM

I just learned that some people deworm their dog a few times a year routinely. My dog hasn’t had dewormers since we got her as a puppy. She’s never had worms but might be nice to ensure it stays that way. Should we be doing this? My vet has only mentioned flea/tick prevention which I do give. Thanks!
posted by vanitas to Pets & Animals (8 answers total)

I've got city dogs, which are statistically less likely to do something like drink from a pond or eat deer shit that a more free range dog might get up to. They take a monthly Sentinel Spectrum chew. It's a broad parasite preventative: heartworm, tapeworm, hookworm, whipworm, roundworm, and it neuters fleas so they can't breed. If you are very concerned about worms then talk to your vet about a broad spectrum preventative.

I would not give my dogs de wormer unless I knew for fact they had worms. One of my dogs had hookworms shortly after I adopted him and treatment was a very stressful process for both of us.
posted by phunniemee at 3:01 PM on April 14, 2022 [3 favorites]

Do you think they could mean heartworm?
posted by ReluctantViking at 4:24 PM on April 14, 2022

I think that preventative deworming is more common in situations with lots of animals living together, be it a lot of dogs in a kennel or a farm situation. Because one dog will get hookworms and spread it to the other dogs.

If this is a city dog who only sees dogs at the dog park then it's likely not worth it.

But yes, heartworm treatment should be preventative and year round now.
posted by muddgirl at 5:24 PM on April 14, 2022

I have a suburban dog. We have a yard, he takes walks, he drinks from puddles occasionally and considers bunny poop a delicacy. And other than heartworm preventative, I don’t treat him for worms. He has the yearly fecal sample tests and they come back clear except for some indicator that shows he likes bunny poop.
posted by kimberussell at 6:12 PM on April 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

My dog gets Simparica Trio (flea, tick, worms, heartworm) six months a year, which I import from the South Pacific for about a third of what my local Canadian vet charges for the same damn thing. (Dosage is based on weight so make sure you get the right one.)

I live in a city (Toronto) where ticks are rare, but still possible. I myself got bit by a tick in LA once so know it can't easily be dismissed.

If you live in a climate that's winter-free you might want to do it every month year-round.
posted by dobbs at 6:14 PM on April 14, 2022

Probably you should be giving your dog a heartworm preventative, especially if you live in a warm climate. But even here in NYC most people do it. Something like Heartgard will prevent heartworm and a few other intestinal worms.
posted by praemunire at 8:42 PM on April 14, 2022

Many heartworm preventatives also work on other kinds of worms (hookworms, roundworms, etc.) Heartworms are spread by mosquitos and a heartworm infection is extremely dangerous, even sometimes fatal, for dogs. It's not work the risk of heart damage to avoid heartworm prevention, in my opinion, even if you live in a lower-risk area (though note that heartworm has been found in all 50 US states and the lower CA provinces).
posted by radiogreentea at 9:32 AM on April 15, 2022

I have never dewormed a dog. Maybe heartworm pills, but unless you see worms in their stool, leave it alone.
posted by Oyéah at 4:13 PM on April 15, 2022