I’m curious how often you worm (de-worm) your dog/s. Do you have the vet do a test on some poop first to see if it’s necessary or do you just do it at regular intervals? Do you get the meds from your vet, feed store, or order online? If you get meds at feed store or online what do you use? Look forward to your responses. Thank
I worm my dog/s every six months. I used to use Drontal Plus but my Vet supplies a different make now - same ingredients though - and by law it can only be sold on prescription. Some recommend worming an adult dog at least four times a year but I trust my Vet and he says twice a year is sufficient, once they have been fully wormed as puppies. As he comes here every three months for her parkworm shot [we do not have heartworm here] but parkworm, which started in the centre of the Country, made its way down here when Tikva was a puppy so she has to have that shot. It is quite convenient as Bravecto, which she has for ticks and fleas is also a three monthly dose - far easier than the monthly Frontline Plus spot-on!
Up to now, just twice a year. I use Drontal Plus, (or a clone such as Cestem if there is a significant price advantage), and alternate this with the seven day reduced dose of Panacur 10% Suspension, which covers them for lungworm too. My last dog was a snail cruncher, but there is always the possibility of slug/snail slime contamination on grass anyway. I buy my worming products at Champ. shows, or from Pet Drugs Online. I have been reluctant to move onto the monthly treatment with Advantage that many vets promote these days. However, I have just read an article which mentions the spread of lungworm in the UK fox population which is giving me second thoughts, but I haven't made the decision to change my routine yet.
@CaroleC - thank you for reminding me - it is Cestem that Ram now supplies, not that I ever see them as he gets them down Tikki in two seconds flat! He also used to give Pereg her Drontal Plus as I had to take her to the surgery every three months for blood tests. With Lexi he would leave one for her as he only saw her once a year for her yearly booster. Advantage would be no good for Tikki [or the other two] as it has no effect on tapeworm, and as Ram has never mentioned lungworm I assume that there is none here.
I would imagine that you don't have it. There never used to be lungworm in the UK, but it crept across the channel a few years ago, and although it isn't a serious threat where I am, it is creeping further north, and the vet surgeries have warning posters. At least we don't have the heartworm problem that they have in the US - yet.
Regular worming makes zero sense to me. Nigredo gets a fecal done at each annual. Never find worms and so he never gets worm medicine he doesn't need. Heartworm treatments, if done by the vets call... Are monthly like flea treatments. They're preventatives and not treatments. Giving a dog a dewormer won't prevent future worms, it just kills any they have. I used to do Heartworm preventatives with Nigredo, but never truly did them with any other dogs and never had heartworm in any dogs and so I stopped them with him as well. Most flea chemicals contain mosquito repellent and I have no choice but to use those on him.
Puppies I worm more frequently, when adults I don’t have a set routine maybe once a year, if that unless I actually see signs of parasites, then I use Drontal Plus Xl and get them online. I don’t give preventive flea treatment, only deflea if they actually get fleas, which is hardly ever.
These days most of my dog exercise is on land which is fairly heavily used by other dogs, and when laying search squares, I have actually come across live roundworm on the ground. Enough to send you running for the Drontal! However, apart from puppies and breeding stock, round and tapeworm infestation would have to be pretty serious to cause more than a loss of condition, or digestive problems I am rather more worried about the spread of lungworm in the UK. Lungworm migrates through the tissues affecting the lungs, heart and the blood clotting mechanism. There is little warning that the dog has been affected till the symptoms of disease appear. The effects can be disabling, or in the worst cases fatal. I like Panacur suspension as, the dosage can be varied allowing it to be used as a 'normal' wormer, a 3 day treatment for coccidia and other microparasites, (and Merry loves rabbit poo), or as a 7 day course which is effective against lungworm. I do not treat against fleas. I groom my dogs most days, and have only found them on one Cavalier, and one Lurcher in the last 25 years or so. You may call me old-fashioned, but I am suspicious of any medication which acts by being absorbed through the skin.
Poor fat Nigredo gets absolutely COVERED in fleas. And then he scratches and gets sores and he also passed the fleas to the indoor cats. It's a nightmare. Even with flea medication he still gets fleas, just not nearly as bad. Brewers Yeast and Garlic used to work with my previous dog, but seems to have no effect with him. Jade barely gets any fleas at all and she only wears a flea collar. Flea collars have no effect on him or his fleas. I make jokes that his blood must be like syrup to them but it's hardly funny. I wish I could find a way around costly chemicals which probably aren't totally safe, but nothing else seems to have any true effect.
