Ava Williams
Almost all dogs will come into contact with worms in their lifetime. The good news is there are many ways to treat infected dogs. With regular worming, you can not only protect your dog but also yourself, because some types of worms can also be transmitted to humans.
The most important parasites are roundworms and tapeworms, hookworms, lungworms, and heartworm. The following applies to all types of worms: the risk of infection lurks everywhere. Sources of infection can be other dogs and their droppings, wild rodents, and carrion, but also frogs and snails. There may be additional risks for dogs traveling or being taken with you from abroad. In southern travel countries, for example, there is a risk of a heartworm infection transmitted by mosquitoes.
How often treatment is required depends on the dog’s age and living conditions. There are special preparations for puppies, for pregnant, young, or adult animals, all of which are well tolerated. In risk groups, wormers should be carried out monthly. This includes dogs that are allowed to roam freely and are therefore in close contact with the above-mentioned sources of infection. If the dog has close contact with small children, a monthly deworming treatment is also advisable, since infected dogs often carry worm parts, eggs, or larvae in their fur, which increases the risk of transmission. If the individual risk of an animal cannot be classified, about four treatments per year are recommended.
A wide variety of dosage forms and combinations of active ingredients are available. Together with the veterinarian, dog owners can carry out individual treatments, and even special eating or behavioral characteristics of the dog can be taken into account when choosing the right preparation. This makes worm control very easy and safe.