Dog deworming

Regular deworming is an important part of your dog's health care — it not only protects the animal itself, but also you and your family from possible infections. In this article, you will learn how to recognize the parasites, how deworming is carried out and what options are there to effectively protect your four-legged friend from parasites.

How do I know that my dog needs to be dewormed?

If the dog frequently eats grass, slips on its buttocks (“sled riding”) or gets dull fur, this may indicate a worm infestation. Diarrhoea, weight loss or a bloated stomach are also typical signs. In some cases, you can even see worms or worm eggs in the faeces. By then at the latest, your dog should be dewormed or a veterinary be visited.

How do you recognize endoparasites?

In most cases, the parasites in dogs live in the intestines. They are therefore internal parasites. There, they damage mucous membranes and impair nutrient absorption. The infection usually occurs through faeces. Hookworms can also pierce their way through the skin and thus reach their host.

Worms — intestinal parasites in dogs

Worms can cause diarrhea and weight loss, with young, elderly or sick dogs in particular suffering significantly more from these symptoms than mature and healthy animals. Of all worms, the so-called roundworm (Toxocara canis) is the most common in dogs. It causes puppies in particular to produce a drum-like “worm's tummy”. hookworms (Ancylostomatidae) and whipworms (Trichuris vulpis), on the other hand, feed on the blood of the intestinal mucous membranes. Occasionally, they cause bloody diarrhea or even anaemia.

typical tapeworms In dogs, the flee-borne Cucumber seed tapeworm (Diphylidium caninum) and the Fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis), which is absorbed by eating infected mice. The cucumber seed tapeworm settles in the intestines and leads to typical “sled driving” as a symptom. Fox tapeworm primarily affects the dog's liver and particular care should be taken with this: an infection can be life-threatening for humans! Since foxes live ever closer to humans, dogs are also at risk in the city. That is why good prophylaxis is extremely important!

The lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) affects the arteries of the lungs and the right half of the dog's heart, where it can cause severe tissue damage. With heartworms Dogs (Dirofilaria immitis) become infected primarily in southern Europe by biting certain mosquito species. Heartworms parasitize in the heart chambers and pulmonary vessels.

Single-celled organisms that infest dogs

In addition to worms, various protozoa are also typical single-celled parasites in dogs. As with worms, young animals are particularly at risk. In adult dogs, an infection is often without any further symptoms. The following is an overview of the typical unicellular organisms that can infect your dog:

• Giardia: These are flagellates that are ingested orally and settle in the small intestine. There, they feed on sugar molecules from food. Giardia form stable cysts that remain infectious in the area for up to three months.
• Coccidia: Dogs can become infected with coccidia by ingesting their oocysts (eggs) orally. Settlement takes place in the small and large intestines. The infectious eggs remain infectious in the outside world for several months.
• Other protozoa: Other pathogens that can infect your dog include Leishmania, Babesia and Anaplasma. Leishmania and Babesia are single-celled parasites, whereas anaplasmas are bacteria. They occur primarily in warmer regions of Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean region, and are transmitted via different vectors depending on the pathogen: Leishmania by sandflies, babesia and anaplasmas, especially by ticks. However, due to milder temperatures, their spread limit is shifting further north.

How often does a dog have to be dewormed?

The frequency and timing of deworming It basically depends on the age of your dog. To prevent serious problems caused by long-term infestations by parasites, we recommend regular deworming. The following is an overview of the recommended intervals depending on the age of your dog:

• Puppies: Puppies are dewormed for the first time two weeks after birth. The treatment should then be repeated at intervals of two weeks up to two weeks after weaning from the mother animal.
• Suckling dogs: Female dogs with puppies should be dewormed at the same time as they first treat the puppies.
• Young dogs and adult dogs: If there is no increased risk of infection, deworming is recommended at regular intervals of 3 months.
• Dogs with an increased risk of infection: As part of an individual risk assessment by the vet, significantly more treatments per year, and in individual cases even monthly deworming, may be appropriate.

Document the date of the treatments performed and note down the time for the subsequent deworming. In this way, you always have an overview and protect your dog and yourself from parasites and their health consequences.

Do you have any questions about this topic? Please contact us!