Deworming might be one of the things that a pet owner takes lightly and which can cause many healthcare issues to the pet if not done timely and regularly. As a pet grows, its interaction with the world around increases as well. As it interacts with the elements and the humans around it, so does the spectrum of parasites that can infect it, becomes broad, some of them posing a threat to humans a well. So to avoid your pet having gastrointestinal problems and to avoid growth issues, deworming should be done regularly.

Types of worms and how to tell if your pet has them

The most common types of worm in a dog is roundworm which, if not taken care of, can cause not only growth related problems but skin issues as well. Other parasites like roundworm and tapeworm can cause damage to the pet’s intestinal lining and give them itchy butt. Yeah. Ever seen your dog rubbing his bottom on the ground after pooping? That’s a clear sign of worms. If you have a puppy, and it has diarrhea, is eating a lot of mud or stuff that’s not edible, has inflated stomach and problems in respiration, it is a sign of worms. For older dogs, you will notice this on their feces or vomit. Worms will come out and look like rice grains. Other common symptoms among dogs include coughing, lethargy, or decrease in energy level, decrease in appetite, rapid weight loss, dull coat, and skin irritation. Coughing, weight loss, vomiting are other symptoms. to be more sure,

How and when to deworm your pet

Various deworming agents are available in the market. Some are suitable for pups while others are for adult dogs. What king of deworming agent should you give to your pet must be decided by a vet as many variables are taken into consideration before prescribing a deworming medicine for your pet like the area where you live, level of interaction with other animals and humans, pet’s interaction with children in the house etc.

It is usually advised that deworming should start at an early age. So for a puppy younger than 8 weeks, deworming should be done every two weeks. If the pup is 2 to 6 months old, deworming should be done every month, and for dogs older than 6 months, preventive deworming should be done at least 4 times in a year. Of course, pet’s stool samples should be given for testing and the Vet can prescribe dosage accordingly. In many cases, even adult dogs have to be dewormed every 45 days to keep the parasites at bay.

Mistakes to avoid while deworming

Not considering the weight of your pet while deworming is a common mistake which can lead to under dosage or over dosage and hence, result in ineffective deworming.

If you have more than one pets and you are not deworming them together at the same time then it is also an ineffective deworming as the other pets can still transmit the parasites.

Forgetting to re administer the deworming agent after 15 days leads to ineffective deworming as the oral anti-parasitics remain inside your dog’s body only for a few hours, so it is necessary to administer a second dose at least every two weeks for better elimination.

By believing that deworming is to be done only once a year or once every 3 months as the interaction pets have with the world around them these days has increased a lot. Hence, the need to deworm them often.

Not making sure if the medicine was actually ingested properly by the pet we risk ineffective deworming.

For problem free growth of your pet and his healthy life style, proper and regular deworming is very important. By doing this, and avoiding these mistakes, we can make sure that any internal or external parasites cannot cause any king of health damage to our furry friends.

Want to know how to take care of a newborn puppy? Do read How to take care of a newborn pup to know more.