Most dogs will experience worm problems more than once in their whole lifetime.
Worms in dogs are so often that it’s recommended by many vets around the world we, pet owners, give regularly deworming medicine to our pooches.
Deworming is a process when the medication kills the worms that are inside your dog. In a short period of time, it eliminates them all.
We will guide you through the best dewormers for dogs for the most common types of worms.
Types Of Worms A Dog Can Get
Here is a list of intestinal worms in dogs that are very common:
Roundworms are visible to the naked eye with a length of 3-5 inches and look like spaghetti. They do not cause any major illness but still can make your dog very ill.
Hookworms are not visible to the naked eye because they are the smallest type. They can cause life-threatening anemia to dogs of every age, especially in puppies.
Tapeworms can grow to 8 inches in length and look like rice grains on your dogs’ fur;
The most dangerous type of worm is heartworm. Heartworm isn’t an intestinal type of worm. It can get to your dog through mosquito bites. Heartworms can grow and multiply fast in your dog’s heart. They can cause lung and organ diseases.
If left untreated, they can cause a lot of damage to the dog’s heart.
Signs Of Worms In Dogs
All types of worms (tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm) have similar symptoms, like:
- Changes in appetite;
- Weight loss;
- Low energy;
- Visible worms in feces;
- Scooting the rear along the ground;
- Itchy skin.
The Best Dewormers For Dogs and Puppies
Before I start telling you which are the best dewormers for our dogs, I want to explain how these three medicines were selected.
First, there are many dewormers that have to be prescribed by vets but there are many good ones that are over-the-counter (OTC). So, I will give you one example of both of these kinds.
There are many dewormers that aren’t good to be used for little puppies. So, again I am going to show you the best version for puppies and little dogs.
- Can be given without a prescription;
- For Dogs 6 Weeks or Older;
Panacur® C‘s active ingredient is Fenbendazole and the dosage per unit is 222mg/g.
Uses: For the treatment and control of 2 species of Roundworms and Hookworms, and 1 species of each Whipworms and Tapeworms.
Panacur® C is safe for use in puppies 6 weeks or older and adult dogs, including pregnant females.
Warning: Do not deworm a dog or puppy that is sick. Consult your veterinarian for a diagnosis of the illness.
Doses: The daily dose for Panacur® C is 50 mg/kg (22.7 mg/lb) of body weight. For example, for 10 pounds dog, the packet size* is 1 gram, for 20 pounds, the packet size is 2 grams. For 30 pounds are 2 packets: the first one is 1 gram and the other is 2 grams.
*Packet size is the daily dose. The dog must be treated with this dose for 3 days in a row.
You should weigh your dog to make sure you are using the right size and number of packets.
Approved by FDA under NADA #121-473.
Owning a Puppy that is younger than 6 weeks and this dewormer can’t work for it? No problem, we have a solution:
2. Elanco Chewable Quad Dewormer
- For Puppies And Small Dogs 3 weeks or older
- Can be taken without prescription
The active ingredients are praziquantel, pyrantel pamoate, and febantel.
Uses: Bayer Quad Dewormer by Elanco Animal Health is a broad-spectrum chewable tablet effective against hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms.
It’s safe for dogs three weeks of age and older. But it’s not safe for pregnant and lactating dogs.
It also only requires a single dose. You don’t need a prescription for this product.
The Best Dewormer For Dogs And Puppies With Prescription:
Drontal® Plus Broad Spectrum Chewable Anthelmintic Tablets for Dogs are available in three tablet sizes. Each size is scored for convenient oral administration.
This is one of the best dewormers for dogs and one of the most favorite of vets.
Drontal® Plus Tablet for Puppies and Small Dogs contains 22.7 mg praziquantel, 22.7 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 113.4 mg febantel. Shouldn’t be used for dogs under 3 weeks of age and under 2 lbs of weight.
Drontal® Plus Tablet for Medium-sized Dogs contains 68.0 mg praziquantel, 68.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 340.2 mg febantel.
Drontal® Plus Tablet for Large Dogs contains 136.0 mg praziquantel, 136.0 mg pyrantel base as pyrantel pamoate, and 680.4 mg febantel.
The treatment is done in a single dose.
Praziquantel is active against tapeworms.
Pyrantel pamoate is active against hookworms.
Febantel is active against nematode parasites including whipworms.
Drontal Plus mustn’t be used on pregnant dogs.
How To Deworm A Puppy? (Video)
Here is a video that shows how you can deworm a puppy yourself but I have prepared a guide on how do I Deworm myself. We have explained very carefully what should be done when you decide to deworm your dog yourself.