The dogs we live with in our homes can be affected by numerous parasites, both external and internal. Fleas, ticks or tapeworms, but also heart, lung or eye worms are undesirable hosts that, unfortunately, are still common. The problem is that they are not just an aesthetic nuisance. These parasites affect the well-being and quality of life of our dog and, in addition, can cause or transmit different diseases, some of them serious. But the problems do not end there: many of these parasites can also affect human beings, especially the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly.
In view of these data, please: deworm your pet! You have doubts? We explain how to deworm a dog in the following article on our site.
How to deworm a dog internally?
The first thing we need to know when internally deworming a dog is that we can not only deal with intestinal parasites, more known as earthworms or worms. Internal parasites can also be located in the heart, lungs or even the eyes That is why it is important to use an antiparasitic that is active against the largest number of parasites possible or at least effective against the parasites that our dog is most likely to contract based on its characteristics, its place of residence and its lifestyle. For example, puppies are more susceptible to intestinal worm infestations, while adult dogs that live outside will be more likely to contract heartworms or eyeworms. Hence, the recommendation is to consult with our trusted veterinarian. This professional will be the one who chooses the best option for our dog among all those that we will find in the market.
Internal antiparasitics for dogs
Antiparasitics for internal parasites are on sale in different formats, such as oral suspensions, pills,tablets chewable or the pipettes , so we can choose the presentation that makes administration easier for our dog. We will only have to give the liquid or the pill directly in the mouth or mixing them with the food. If we opt for the pipette, it is applied to the skin, generally in the withers area.
Remember that just as important as choosing the right antiparasitic is following the recommendations of the manufacturer or the veterinarian when administering it to our dog. That is, the animal must take the amount adjusted to its weight and the administration must be repeated with the prescribed frequency, normally every month or every 3-4 months, although this also depends on the age of the dog and the product chosen. Lastly, it is recommended to deworm your dog throughout the year, since the presence of internal parasites is not limited only to the hot months.
Currently, we have tasty and chewable tablets that allow us to deworm the dog internally and externally without the need to use more products. These tablets are administered once a month, they are really effective and are purchased in veterinary centers. Do not hesitate and consult your veterinarian about the most complete double protection.
How to deworm a dog externally?
The fleas, the ticks, thelice , but also the mosquitoes or the mites, are the external parasites that dogs of any age are most likely to suffer from. Not only do they cause annoying bites, but they can also transmit serious diseases, such as filariasis, caused by heartworms, or leishmaniasis. In addition, they can also be harmful to humans, since many of them directly attack people or contribute to the transmission of diseases, since they are vectors of pathologies with zoonotic potential, that is, they are spread from animals to people.
External antiparasitics for dogs
For all these reasons, the current recommendation is to keep the dog dewormed throughout the year, since the presence of this type of parasite extends beyond the hot months. As we have pointed out for internal deworming in dogs, it will be the veterinarian who can best advise us when choosing the ideal external antiparasitic for our dog. For sale we will find pipettes, sprayers, necklaces or chewable tablets and opting for one presentation or another or a combination of them will depend on both the characteristics of our dog and its way of life, which will expose it, to a greater or lesser extent, to one or another parasite.
For example, the spray forces us to completely spray the animal, while the chewable tablets are given directly in the mouth or with food, the collars only have to be placed well on the neck and the pipettes they are generally applied to the skin of the withers or to various points along the spine. As always, it must be remembered that for deworming in dogs to be effective, it must be administered according to the manufacturer's or veterinarian's instructions and repeated as often as indicated, normally once a month.
Can you deworm dogs internally and externally at the same time?
Although it has been common to use an internal antiparasitic product every 3-4 months and a different external one once a month, it is now possible to find, in a single product, effectiveness against internal and external parasites, which makes deworming even easier. The application of this double protection is monthly and you can find it in chewable tablets and in pipettes.
Without a doubt, this is a recommended option, since it is known that the most common internal parasites have a life cycle that, if deworming is postponed for 3-4 months, leaves room for to reproduce, being able to infest both dogs and humans. Consult your veterinarian so that they can advise you on the most suitable double action product for your dog.
Importance of deworming in dogs
As we have advanced, deworming dogs is not a minor or exclusively aesthetic issue. In other words, it is not just that your dog is bitten by a flea that causes itching or that he eliminates a worm in his stool and nothing else. The parasites that we can detect are just the tip of the iceberg of a whole parasitic cycle that not only affects a specimen, but also spreads eggs and larval forms throughout the environment through which it moves, which produces contamination that can lead to many other animals, but also people, especially immunocompromised or with a more vulnerable immune system, such as children, end up becoming infected.
On the other hand, factors such as climate change or globalization are causing parasitic diseases that were previously limited to specific areas or certain months of the year to spread. They are emerging parasitic diseases that can proliferate even more. An example is leishmaniasis, but we can also talk about dirofilariosis or thelaziosis, which will not only affect dogs, since they are transmissible to other animals and people through vectors such as flies, mosquitoes and sandflies. Hence the urgency of stopping its progress by implementing regular deworming programs for all pets that can spread parasites and act as reservoirs.
But even without dealing with these diseases, the mere presence of parasites on our dog already affects its well-being, because it will suffer from itching, irritation, wounds, digestive disorderssuch as diarrhea or even, depending on the degree of infestation and individual sensitivity, more serious disorders such as anemia or dermatitis allergic to flea bites (DAPP). We can prevent all this by knowing how to deworm a dog and, therefore, by simply giving it a preventive product against parasites every month.
The deworming that we have talked about is mainly focused on adult dogs, for 2-month-old puppies we recommend this other article: “How to deworm a puppy?”
