A Few Things to Note About Pet Worms and Dewormers For Dogs

When you consider deworming any of your house pets, knowing that this should be a necessary precaution for you, as a pet owner, to implement regularly, is key. As one of the more important preventative regimes in their care routine, not only is a flea treatment essential, but also a dewormer.

This is typically done both externally and internally ensuring a thorough job is done. There are a few reasons why this is necessary and we look at this as well as some suggested deworming products you can use, below.

How Do Pets Get worms?

One of the more common issues with keeping domesticated animals is the risk of them having worms. This can end up being a dire situation if not taken care of early in their growth stage and on a regular basis.

Some types of worms are acquired from other animals around while others are caught by eating the wrong foods such as raw meats and uncooked substances, as mentioned here. A few of the main causes of this are through other pets or infected animals if by chance your pup eats the eggs or larvae of worms present in pet food or grass and whilst eating raw foods, especially meats that are derived from previously infected poultry. Lastly, kittens can get them through their mothers’ milk as well.

Several Facts Regarding Deworming You Should Know

Seeing isn’t always believing: sometimes all you will notice is your pet itching their skin, while other times you may find some insects in their feces. It can be hard to tell what the cause of their discomfort is, and if you are unsure, you can opt to do an examination of their feces and get it checked for parasites.
The younger they are the more often it is needed: you may have just adopted a kitten or a puppy, and with it, you should also adopt a proper treatment. It is a fact that more often than not, the younger pets will need more treatment than older ones. The recommendation is for this to take place once every 2 weeks.

Until they reach about 3 months old, both kittens and puppies will be both having parasites automatically, sometimes it can come from the parents and other times from other animals around. To get a better idea of this, speak to your vet.
Risk of increase of exposure: sometimes you may be as careful as needed, but they can still catch these nuisance issues. In which case try and consider a few factors such as:
• The types of parasites inhabiting your area
• Do you leave them at a pet home while you are at work or on holiday?
• Does your kitten or pup wander outside frequently?
• Whether you have traveled with your pet to a new or different location over the past couple of weeks
• Are there any other animals in your area that could possibly be in contact with your pet?
• Taking them to dog parks or kennels could also be a common cause of infection.

Weather does not make a difference: some pet owners have heard or read that fleas cannot survive in harsh weather such as in winter. However, this is a common myth, and the hard truth is that they can survive pretty much any season. They have a hard exterior that protects them from different types of weather, as discussed in this online article: https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/do-fleas-survive-winter so never take this for granted, as they can live for a very long time without being affected.
One good thing about summer though, is you can bath them outside in your garden with flea shampoo and they can sit in the sun to dry out, which will help heal their skin from scabs or itching.
People are at risk as well: never think that these pests only affect our four-legged friends, because they can harm you too. Pets are known as ‘zoonotic’ creatures. What this simply means is that they have a tendency of passing on certain things from them to their human owners.

In this case, they can easily transfer their ticks and fleas to people and cause them to catch an infection, sickness, or disease. Every precautionary measure should be taken to avoid this and some suggestions to think about include:
• Keeping your house clean and disinfected regularly
• Bathing your pet with lukewarm water and flea shampoo a few days a week
• Washing any clothes and bedding regularly in hot water
• Wash your hands properly after picking up your pet’s feces in the park or garden
• Use preventative measures like dewormers and treatments regularly
Take extra care especially if you have children and babies in the house, as they are at a greater risk of catching something than adults.

The Best Solution for This Common Issue

Out of all the known ways to get rid of, and keep worms away from our furry friends, the best one so far has been to invest in an effective and safe dewormer, to avoid any unfavorable instances. A great suggestion are the broad-spectrum ones like Milbemax which is a popular brand obtainable on online stores and is available for both dogs and cats.
Ideally, smaller dogs or cats will need this treatment while they are still young and is usually administered twice a month, up to a certain age, typically once they reach the age of 3 months. These are available in tablet form as well, which is the more versatile option.

It is also essential to know that different types of worms can affect them and as such, it is important to invest in the one that’s created specifically for it. The various types of these parasites can include anything from heartworms, tapeworms, roundworms, whip or hookworms, and others.

When you take them to the vet for a checkup, always ask them to check for these. It is easily detectable within their stool and a microscopic examination is often done to be 100% sure what it is, and the vet can prescribe some medication or topical application to help them. However, your responsibility does not stop here, you will also need to help your pooch out by making sure he gets regular treatment and check-ups going forward.

If not handled carefully and as quickly as possible, it could cause a lot of harm and discomfort to them, as well as you and your family members. Some of the sure way signs to look out for include a dramatic decrease in their weight as they may lose their appetite, they can become weak and sit around or sleep all day instead of playing or running around, it can also cause them to have diarrhea, and can also affect their internal organs and one common issue is that of a ‘distended or swollen abdomen’.

Any great pet owner would be directly affected if their animal companion is not in good health or is in discomfort. The key is to keep constant observation of anything that looks out of place and immediately take them to the vet. Keeping them in tip-top shape should always remain a priority and the better you look after them, the better they will look after you as well.