Deworming is the process of eliminating intestinal and internal parasites from your pet’s body. The right dewormer for dogs depends on age, weight, symptoms, health status, and the specific parasite. 

It’s considered a significant part of routine pet care, including vaccinations and external parasite preventives. 

What Is the Best Dewormer for Dogs?

It depends on the specific worm or parasite. Our veterinarians carefully select deworming treatments, emphasizing a specific component for each parasite. Here’s an overview: 

Types of Deworming Medicine for Dogs

Deworming medications can be grouped into broad-spectrum and targeted categories. Broad-spectrum dewormers treat multiple types of parasites, while targeted dewormers treat a specific parasite. 

These may come in forms such as:

• Chewable tablets

• Standard pills

• topicals 

• Liquids and pastes

• injections

When Should Puppies and Dogs Start Deworming?

Puppies should get dewormed starting at 2 weeks of age. This must be repeated every 2 weeks until they reach 12 weeks of age. 

After the 12-week series, the schedule will switch to monthly deworming treatments until they reach 6 months of age. By this time, dewormers for dogs must be administered every 3-4 months based on lifestyle and risk of exposure. 

Puppy and Dog Deworming Schedule

According to Dr. Soheyl Simaei, our head vet, deworming is especially important for puppies because their immune systems are still developing. Puppies may contract worms during birth or nursing. 

Adult dogs, even with their developed defenses, will still need preventive treatments to stay safe. High-risk dogs, including those who always visit outdoor dog parks, daycares, boarding facilities, and grooming salons, will require more frequent treatment.

Ideally, our veterinarians recommend annual parasite checkups to confirm your dog’s health and happiness.